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Linguistic Curiosities

The words boss and botch: In the Oxford English Dictionary, we learn that boss and botch were just about synymous words in the Middle Ages, except for a subtlety: in addition to meaning a supervisor of workers boss also meant an ornamental stud.

The letter X, as used for the unknown in algebra, may seem to represent a crossroads where many of us, who are not so keen on math, feel we get lost...
You may have wondered why this particular letter (i.e., the "X," and not "Y" or "Z") has been the standard letter used for the unknown in algebra.
The 17th century philosopher and mathematician René Descartes was the first to use letters at the end of the alphabet to represent unknown quantities.
Whatever the reason that "X" was favored to "Y" or "Z," this has never really been properly explained. A possible reason is that one can write the letter X quickly; it is, in addition, more likely to be legible than other letters, whatever one's handwriting.
In any case, most scholars agree that the widespread adoption of the X reflects, in spirit, ease and simplicity [ironically, the very opposite of what algebra may represent for those who are not exactly math-oriented people;)...]. (Source: MailBits' Trivia Mailing)

Here is the link to a web page displaying the string "Happy Birthday" in a large number of languages. Click here to visit this page, if you are curious.

According to Kaptest.com business school experts, these were the top business words in 2001:

The Top Ten Business Words in 2001
- Brought to you by www.kaptest.com:

Crock Options: When a dot-com offers stock options with a minimum strike price that is actually higher than the stock's current price on the open market.

Dot-coma: A website with no visible signs of life: content is not updated; commerce and any other features requiring humans have been removed.

E-nnoyance: Vexation or irritation caused by the placement of "e" in front of every word.

Free Fall: What all those brilliant web sites that gave everything away for free are now doing.

Net Working: Using your internet connection at work to look for a new job.

Not com: Laid off from a dot com business.

TBD: That's Been Dissolved.

The Great Potato Chip Famine: The ending of the free snacks - including potato chips - that used to be the rule among dot-com employers.

Toynoying: Someone who has too many toys (pens, Palms, phones, etc.) and flaunts them.

Wall Envy: New Economy employees who covet old economy offices instead of their ever smaller cubicle.

Note: Due to the ever-changing nature of business today, these words change regularly. Find more and submit your own business lingo at

Kaplan's online staff is devoted to
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	Kaptest.com's 40+ employees competed to submit the best business words in 2001. The Top Ten is a result of that contest.

Hurricanes – cyclones – typhoons
Do you know that that these three English words are synonymous?...
The choice regarding which to use depends on where in the world you are, or are referring to.

The Electrolux Kelvinator claims to be the world's first talking washing machine. This appliance, to be launched in India, in 2002, is said to have a vocabulary of more than 90 English and Hindi phrases.

It is reported to be able to tell its user to drop the detergent, close the lid, relax, and a lot more – all of it accompanied by a tinkling of piano keys or a trumpet fanfare.

Do you know that French is the most Germanic of all Romance languages? And, conversely, English is the most Romance among all Germanic Languages?

Do you have any clues why?...

The topic is evidently too long to be discussed in this section. If you can't figure out why, or would like more clues than the ones you can come up with, here are two alternatives for you:
_* E-mail us your answer: we can both let you know how hot or how cool it rates, and send you some complementary remarks.
_* Additionally, return to LanGServices & check for the LGS Bulletim Board: this Forum is coming on line shortly.

More to come! Stay tuned!:)

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