This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word: Oxter!
This Week’s Fun & Fancy Word…
O
xter:
It sounds like a mythological animal that’s a mix of an ox and an otter. But it isn’t. Though, it might be just as smelly. Oxter is actually an antiquated word for your armpit.
Etymology:
Origin Of The Word Oxter
The word oxter can be traced back to the Old English ōxta. And is related to Latin axilla. Which is still used in anatomical terms to mean armpit (as well as the corresponding part in a bird or other animal). With that in mind, it’s also a diminutive of āla ‘wing’.… as well as being related to axis, axle and other ‘turning’ words. [1]
Find A Caboodle
Of Fun & Fancy Words Here.
Endnotes:
[1] “Matters of the Armpit.” Englishirishisms https://irishenglishisms.home.blog/2018/08/19/armpit/
Share This Post, Choose a Platform!
Stay in the know about what’s in our ever-growing treasure trove of literary goodness. And, get your free Discover Everything a Book Has to Offer packet.
Related Posts
Do you suffer from autodidactism? Do you have an insatiable thirst for knowledge? Find out if you're an autodidact. ... Read More
Plato may have had his perfect forms and idea of "dogness." But this makes your beloved Fido one of a kind. What could it be?... Read More
Bamboozled! It means to be hoodwinked, flimflammed, hornswoggled -- all fun & fancy words that mean to be tricked, deceived in underhanded ways. Why is this Fun & Fancy word more important than ever?... Read More
Annus Mirabilis isn't a magic spell. Though it does invoke something extraordinary. But what remarkable thing does it speak of? Find out here.... Read More