Posts tagged with "Etymology"

Happy Holy Days

Dear angry people of the internet,

This is just your annual reminder that the word “holidays” as in “happy holidays” has religious origins in the words “holy days.”  As a Catholic, we still have “holy days” that correspond to what some people call “holidays.”  Perhaps the religious origins are less overtly obvious than “Christmas,” but this is not something to war over.  The only people who should have a problem with the word “holidays,” in my opinion, are people who already have a problem with the word “Christmas” and a certain brand of Protestant Christians who don’t like things like liturgical calendars.  So, next time someone wishes you “happy holidays” maybe just tell them “happy holidays” in return, smile inwardly that the vestiges of religious language are inescapable, and move along.

Sincerely,

Jeremy

Chop-chop and chopsticks

I wrote a post a while back related to the use of duplication in language. But, if you want to see how that might more impact your daily life, check out the Language Log article about "chop-chop" and chopsticks linked to above.