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Previous Entries
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Translate this list into any of the languages listed below in the drop-down menu.The machine translations are not perfect, but they are reasonably accurate.
Diplomacy, Protocol et alia
Nidus Latin 'nest' & English Derivatives
Hello & Ciao & Other Greetings
Frog! Origin of a Racist Insult
Wind-Rose & Advection
Oxytocin & Words from Tokos Gr. 'Childbirth'
Reading Blake on New Year's Day
Sabrage: Fancy New Year's Eve Word
Fimbul Winter:Viking World Ends in Ice
Origin of the Word 'Carol'
Sun, Stand Still! The Etymology of Solstice
Canopy & Canapé from Egyptian “Mosquito” Word
Hiemal, Brumal, Algid: Winter Words 3
Proteus & Protea
The Roots of the Word 'Squirrel'
Quebec Expressions - Part 13
Haft, Hilt, Handle & Other Sword Words
Stylite & Astylar: Pillar Words
Fent: Naughty Word & Fabric Swatch
Hoon & Gadzookery: Rare Words Explained
Latin, Greek & German Company Names
The Inuit Noise Ghost
Quebec's Very Own Bogeyman
Gougou: Canadian Halloween Monster -repeat
Québec Proverbs - Part Eleven
Pukka: Origin of a British Compliment
Colchicum or Autumn Crocus
Helluo Librorum: Bookworm Words
Escharotomy & Eschar & Scar Words
Turaco & Sea Eagle: Bird etymologies
Bunkie & Bunkbed Origins
Entomophage: Eating Bugs is Fun!
Disfluency: Newish Buzz Word
L'anse aux Meadows & New Origin of Medusa
Summer Picks: June to Sept 1, 2011 feature The Best of Bill: Selected Repeat Word Columns That Readers Have Asked For
Onion Words in English & French
Guide to Botany Names
Bastard Canoe/ Canot Bâtard
Vole & Other Viking Words
Horse Sense
Skid Means ‘Street Kid’
Beaver Wordlore
Mayapple, Spring Wildflower
Canada Primrose
Origin of the Word Easter
New 'Shed' Words
Grits & Tories: Canadian Political Terms
Canadian Sayings Volume 1 - samples
Tsunami: About the Word
Asbestos: Shame of Canada
Tabula Rasa: Latin Phrase Worth Knowing rp
Snow Motto has Ancient Source rp
Carotid Arteries' Surprising Etymology rp
Billet-Doux: A Valentine's Etymology
Fishmonger, Meet Wordmonger rp
Chinese Words in English rp
Canadian Winter Sayings rp
Catnip rp
Quinzhee: A Snow Shelter rp
Tuque: Origin of Word rp
Auriga & Quadriga: Roman Chariot Words
The Bogus Rhetoric Word 'Paraprosdokian'
Nivosity & Hibernaculum: Winter Words Revisited
Juju, an African Magic Word
New Year's Commentary of Blake Engraving
Winterbourne, rare winter word
Etymology of Christmas Carol
Fimbulvinter: Snow Words Part 5
Firn & Firnspiegel: Snow Words Part 4
Graupel & Chionablepsia: Snow Part 3
Skiff: Rare now Words Part 2
Bergschrund & Rare Snow Words
Diploma, Protocol, Archive: Ancient Document Words
Origin of the Word Amusement
Subnivian: A New Scientific Winter Word
The Man Who Designed Santa Claus
Capillaire & Wintergreen: Woodland Teas
Remembrance Day is a SCAM !
Tabula Rasa: Useful Latin Phrase Sourced & Explained
French & Québec Bread Words & Source of Habitant
Le Bonhomme Sept-Heures: Québec Bogeyman
Gougou: All-Canadian Monster
Inuit Noise Ghost for Halloween
Word Notes & Jottings rp
A Swarm of Bee Words rp
Asbestos: Canada's Poison Shame update
Bastard, Sluggard & Other -ard Words rp
Apple: The Word & The Folklore rp
Farce: Philological Notes on The Origin of the Word rp
New "SHED" Words like Viewshed & Laborshed
Tabula Rasa: Latin Phrase Worth Knowing
Billet-Doux: Wordlore of a French Phrase rp
Gutter & Gout & Guttersnipe
Shana Tova, Mazel Tov & Hebrew 'Good' Words
School: Etymology of the Word
Pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea rp
Lobate Scarp: Wordlore of Science Words
Kiack - Nova Scotia Fish Word
Ramadan: Arabic Etymology -repost
How Did Beaver Become a Dirty Word?
Family First Meant ‘House Full of Slaves’
Chode / Chod: A Newish Dirty Word
Tabula Rasa: Latin Phrase Worth Knowing
Fishmonger, Meet Wordmonger
Circus, the Word - repost
Billet-Doux: Word Lore of A French Phrase
Butter Tart: Canada's Unique Pastry
Boucan & Canadian Historical Slang
Potty-Mouth: Etymology of a "Dirty" Synonym
Oik: Annals of British Slang
Miner's Lettuce: A British Columbia Word
Siwash: Racist Insult -second update
Hudson's Bay Hymn Book: Canadian Historical Slang
Lunenburg Pudding & Your Bowels as Sausages
Cocagne, New Brunswick: Origin of a Canadian Place Name
Diana Krall: The Meanings of Her Names
Frog: Origin of a Racist Insult
The Surprising Etymologies of Lord & Lady
Mayapple: Spring Flower Supreme
The Many Names of Egypt
Circus, the Word
Religious Place Names of Canada
Gentian: Origin of a Flower Name
New Québec Place Names
Paschal Obscurities & Origin of "Easter"
New -Shed Words like Walkshed & Viewshed
Agace-Pissette & Other Quebec Words
St. John's Wort, Spring & Galen
Irish Words in Newfoundland English
West Coast Canadian Phrases
Sputnik & A Russian Lesson
Asbestos: Harper's & Canada's Poison Export
Locker-Boxing: The Shame of Minor Hockey
Labrador: The Meaning of the Place Name
Quebec Expressions - Part 4
New Canadian Sayings Update Feb 2010
Winter Batch of Canadian Sayings repost
Olympic Words: from ancient Greek to English
Canadian, eh? The History of an Interjection
How Beaver Became a Dirty Word
Forceps: Origin of the Word - rewritten
Crowdsourcing: Sleazy New Corporate-Excuse Word -update
Subnivian: A New Scientific Snow Word - repost
Kamik, Babiche & Other Northern Shoe Words
Some Newer Canadian Sayings - repost
Bergschrund: Snow Word
Graupel & Chionablepsia: Rare Snow Words
Skiff - Rare Snow Word
Firn - Unusual Snow Term in English
The Man Who Designed Santa Claus
Mottoes of Canada -revised
10 Winter Weather Sayings from Canada
Obscure Verbs of Leaping: To Pronk, to Stott, to Saltate
Canadian Folk Sayings: New Batch Nov 2009
Québec Place Names: New Ideas
Double-Edged Pip! A Folk Saying about Annoyance
Bastard! & Other -Ard Words
Halloween Week: Inuit Noise Ghost, Wendigo, Gougou & Bonhomme
Schiaparelli: Origin of an Elegant Italian Surname
Abbott & McNab: Origin of Names from Canadian History
Celibacy: The Word & The Practice
Tat: The Tattoo & Trash Word revised
Canadian Words like Cadillac, Bécosse & Screenge
Canadian Sayings: New Batch Sept 2009
Fig: Origin of Word & of Obscene Gesture
Shana Tova! & Uses of the Hebrew Adj. ‘tov’= good
Panopticon of Rare Words # 5
School: Its Etymology
Juju: an African Magic Word
Linden Tree or Basswood: Word Lore
Ramadan: Arabic Etymology of Holy Word
Kif: Arabic Dope Word Circles the Earth
Canadianisms: A New Batch
Hootch: A Klondike Gold Rush Word -repost
Is Zed Dead in Canada? - update
Galilee: Origin of a Hebrew Place Name & The God Pan
Mas Band & Masquerade
Canadian Saying about FEAR - repost
Hell’s Out for Recess: Canadian Saying - repost
The Origin of Summer & The Season Names -repost
Meadow Rue & Its Neat Etymology - repost
Foxing a Horse on Prince Edward Island - update
Origins of the Names of the Great Lakes - repost
Canada: The Name of Our Country - revised
Alberta Ranch Saying - repost
Anishinaabe for N'tl. Aboriginal Day
Canadian Summer Sayings - revised
Pitot Tube: Science Phrase in the News
Bonhomme sept-heures & Other Bogeymen
Irish Words in Newfoundland English - repost
Porcelain: Its Exotic Origin - repost
Bleeding Heart or Dicentra & Other Kentron Words
French Study: About the Acadian Verb Jaser
"Nuisance Grounds" & Other Garbage Words
Coteau - Saskatchewan Word
Guttersnipe & Gout from Latin Gutta ‘Drop’
Meadow Rue: Canadian Garden Word
Canadian Job Names
Mayapple: Canadian Spring Flower revised
Kitsilano: British Columbia Place Name
Soap: Its Origin & Etymology
Tat - My Favorite Shoddy Monosyllable
Vexillology & Other Flag Words
Jouer Fessier, Québec Phrase + Translation Essay
Renoviction - March 2009 Update
Nudnik & Co. Yiddish Words from Russian
Asbestos: Toxic Canadian Export
Irish Words in Newfoundland English
Ponzi: Origin of an Italian Surname
Canadian Phrases Newly Collected March 2009
Dep & Guichet: Québec English Words & “Sticky Wicket”
Eh? A Canadian Interjection - expanded
Narcissus: Word & Myth
Charles Darwin: On The Origin of His Surname
Kamik, Asham, Babiche, Bear Paw: Winter Boot Words
Peanut: The Word & Its Botanical Names
Bad, Silly, Obscene Car Names -rewrite and repost
Year of the Ox & Chinese Words in English
Québec Words & Phrases - Part 10
Herb as a Word - repost
Superjuice: New Canadian Bootlegger Term
Nano-scaffold & Its Greek root 'nanos'
New Year's Commentary on William Blake
Tuque: Canada's National Winter Head Gear
The Man Who Designed Santa Claus
Subnivian: New Scientific Winter Word
Flux, Afflux, Efflux, Influx, Reflux,Effluxion
Snow Sayings & Proverbs
Boneyize : A Canadian Verb
Chaloshes, Tchotchke, Tchainik, Shpilkes:Four Yiddish Words
Renoviction: Creepy New Canadian Word
Vor & Phag: Latin & Greek "Eat" Roots in English
Michif, Métis, Nishga'a, Bluenose: Origin of Names
Asbestos: Shame of Canada: updated
October 2008: “The Best of Bill” repeated 31 favorites
Asbestos, Québec & A Toxic Name Change
Bordens & Brownies: Canadian Racetrack Slang
Mottoes of Canada -repost
Tories & Grits: Origins of Canadian Political Party Nicknames
Québec Bread Words & Etymology of Habitant - revised
Ramadan: Its Etymology
Husqvarna: World's Most Mispronounced Brand Name
Barack Obama: His Given Name's Meaning
Canadian Summer Sayings - revised
Olympic Word & Phrase Origins
Were Olympic Games Named After Mount Olympus?
Botany's Botched Names
Geophagy: Eating Dirt
Boche: Origin of a Second World War Racial Slur
Brit Can't Spell Québec Words
Cyberbullying - update
Calgary Stampede: origin of word
Why I am NOT a Word Cop - 2008 Canada Day Essay
Letters about Pays des Illinois French Dialect
Juniper & Gin: From Landscape to Larynx
Summer & Seasonal Words
Tourtière & Omelette: Food Words Based on Utensils
Mozart: Surprising Meaning of his Surname revised
Letter about Medved, Russian for 'bear'
Cunt: A Blunt Etymology of the Word
Twat: Origin of a Rude Word
Poupoune: Current Québec Slang
Origins of "White" Colour Adjectives
To Tase: Creepy New English Verb
Plantgenets & Plantar Wart: Their Connection -repost
Gorby - repost
Québec Words & Phrases - Part 9
Porcelain: A Marco Polo Word
Boucan, Ballard Effect, Chanting the Cock, Misery Fiddle: Canadian History Words
Lariat, Lasso & Honda: Origins of Cowboy Words
Le Mitin: A Québec Borrowing from English
Giclée: A Printing Term
Québec Insults & Sayings - Part 8
Carotid Arteries - repost
Word Book Review # 1: Curse & Berate in 69+ Languages
Dmitri Medvedev: Origin of Russian Names
Telestrator: Origin of a Brand Name
Tuque: Canada's Winter Headgear - revised & expanded
Quinzhee: A Canadian Winter Shelter Word
Dilbit & Synbit: Alberta Oil Words & Places
Astrobleme: A Geology Word Examined
English Words from Chinese, Like Tea
Horse Sense & Horse Words (rewrite & repost)
Canadian Sayings - New - Jan 2008
Farce: Etymology of the Word (repost)
Sinus: A Medical Examination of the Word
Mottoes of Canada (revised & reposted)
ESL Sayings & ESL Tips
Winter Words & Rare Words
Thomas Nast: The Man Who Designed Santa Claus (Revised)
Uncle Billy's Toys for 2008 - humour
Racist Slang of Canada, Part 2:Nippertipping & Bumsicle
Sousveillance: Coined by a Canadian
Nudnik, Nogoodnik & Nu: Yiddish from Russian
2007 Letters to the Editor
Bordens & Brownies: Canadian Racetrack Slang
Wendigo: Cannibal Fiend of The North Woods
Oak Words 3: Oak Surnames and Place Names
Oak Words 2: Druid, Mistletoe & Oak Myths
Oak Words of the World Part 1
Fennel & Finocchio: Origin of the Plant's Name
Sputnik: Etymology of the Word
Canadian Sayings - A New Fall Batch
Cow Words - Part 3: Vaccine & Pecuniary
Cow Words - Part 2: Cow, Vacca & Vache
Fee & Other Cow Words Part 1
Mi'kmaq Place Names of Nova Scotia
Klondike & Yukon Name Origins - revised
Pomegranate - A Naming Error -revised
The Vicar of Bray & A Nazi War Criminal -revised
Onion Words of English & French -revised
Hysteria: Just Death of a Medical Word -revised
Gorby - revised and updated
Sipiy: Algonkian Root in Can-Am. Place Names - repost
Canadian Summer Sayings - repost
Skookum - repost
Herb as a Word
Profane Reflections - repost & revision
Dion & Dionne: Origin of 2 Québec Surnames
Horse Words: Some Etymology
Unpublished Canadian Sayings
Pitcher Plant, A Newfie Carnivore
Alberta Horse Terms & Your Coccyx
Cephalic, the Vein with the Wrong Name
Marde & Merde & Other Quebec Vulgar Terms
Origin of surnames Abbott & McNab (revised repost)
Onion Words in English & French
Chiard & Excremental Word Origins
Apple Words & Their Sources
Alberta Place Names & Sayings about Canada
A Swarm of Bee Words
Ed Stelmach: Origin of Alberta Premier's Surname
Percebe: Spanish Word Entering English
Farce: An Etymology (revised April 2007)
Nappy: Origin of a Racist Slur
Crowdsourcing: Sleazy New Word, Sleazy Old Scam
Albertosaurus: A Canadian Dinosaur
Rock Tripe: Wildness Emergency Food (repost)
Capillaire & Wintergreen Teas (repost)
Sipiy (Algonkian) = River (English)
Mangeurs de lard: Canadian Historical Insult
Snow Motto Has Ancient Greek Source
Vole & Viking Words in English
Frankum: Newfoundland Gum (repost)
Death Euphemisms like VSA and Passing
Québec Phrases using Gorlot
Tuque & Other Québec Words, Part 6
Crokinole: A Canadian Word?
Saint Valentine's Day 2007
For the Love of Mike: origin of the expression
Bastard Canoe
Québec Sayings # 5 & Metathesis Explained
Québec Bread Words & The Meanings of Habitant
Canadian Saying about Stephen Harper
Locker-Boxing: Amateur Hockey Violence
As The Canoe Tips: Excerpt from my book
Notes from The Wording Room - # 1
Arabic Place Names of the World - part 1
Hoodoo Origins & Dictionary Makers
L'Épluchette:Quebec Corn Roast/Husking Bee
Bad Names for New Cars
Canadian West Coast Expressions
Québec Current Expressions - Part 4
Calgary Stampede: Origin of Word
Mask, Masquerade, Mascara & Mas Band
Skid Means 'Street Kid.'
Anishinaabe: Origin of an Ethnonym
Prickly Pear: Canada's Cactus & Nopalitos Notes
Catnip & Cat: Word Origins
Lord & Lady: Suprising Origins of These Words
Donner la Bascule, Cul, Cule, Cul-de-Sac, Culbut & Co.
Inuit Noise Ghost: Canadian Halloween Monster
Québec Sayings/ Dits Québécois - Part 3
Fulda, Saskatchewan: Origin of the Name
To Parp a Klaxon: British Phrase Examined
Fireweed: Flower of the Yukon
Unpublished Canadian Sayings: Collected Oct 2006
Miner's Lettuce: A British Columbia Word
Québec Expressions Today / Des Expressions Québécoises
French Canadian Sayings/ Les Dits Québécois
The Birch Tree: Word Lore & History
Hudson's Bay Hymn Book: Historical Canadian Slang
Canadian Sayings about Death
Frankum: A Word from Newfoundland
Racist Slang of Canada
Abbott & McNab: Origin of Surnames
To Fox a Horse: PEI Historical Phrase
Plantagenets & Plantar Warts: Their Connection
Acadian Food Words
Dudek: Origin of a Canadian Poet's Surname
Tilley: Origin of a Famous Canadian Surname
Rock Tripe: Emergency Wilderness Food
Crokinole: A Canadian Word ?
Canadian Sayings For ESL Students in Plain English
Canada Yew: Origin of Word & of Botanical Name
Snye: A 100% Canadian Term
The Real McCoy: Canadian Origin of the Phrase
Stumping: Love in Pioneer New Brunswick
Butter Tart: 100% Canadian
Mozart: Surprising Origin of his Surname
Hello! Ciao! The Origins of Words of Greeting
Banting: Origin of Famous Canadian Surname
Colcannon Night in Newfoundland Labrador
Veronica Tennant: origin of the artist's names
Bobskates
Christmas Carol Parodies
Newly Collected Saying: Hell's Out for Recess
Fidiot: New Word
Capillaire & Wintergreen: Little Teas of the Woods
Summer Words for a Winter Day
Features & Services Page: Internal Site Links
Botanical Names: A Quick Guide
Cocagne, New Brunswick: Origin of a Place Name
Alberta Folk Saying about Cattle Ranching
Canadian Saying about FEAR
Moose Muffle Soup: A Canadian Pioneer Recipe
Bill Casselman's Personal Chili Recipe
Brand-New: Origin of an Adjective
Antumbra & Words Derived From Latin umbra 'shadow'
Michael Ignatieff: Origin of his Surname
Cyberbully: New Canadian Word
Name Origins of The Great Lakes
Digitariat: Newish Computer Word
Funis, Latin 'rope' & Funiculi, Funicula!
Ten Sayings Every Canadian Should Know
Sockeye Salmon, Ichthyology & Ichthys as Christian Symbol
Skookum: A British Columbia Word
Canadian, Eh? — The True Story of an Interjection
Eggplant & Aubergine: Origins
Canadian Summer Sayings Just to Laugh about
Hysteria: The Just Death of a Medical Word
Carotid Artery: origin of words
Sebum: Origin of Medical Term
Wog: Birth of a Racist Insult
Blueberry Grunt from Nova Scotia
Mangeurs de lard: historical insult
Is Zed Dead in Canada?
Bourassa, Borage, Burro, Burrito
Summer & Season Names
Huron: Racist Insult
Labrador
Canadian Wild Ginger
Nahanni, Deh Cho, Dene
Lunenburg Pudding, Bowels & Sausages;
Profane: Outside the Temple
Bloodroot, Canadian Spring Flower
Spanish Place Names in Canada
Mother: Etymology of the Word; Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum; Beaver; Castor; Clavicle; Autoclave; Clavius Named for Christopher Clavius; The Well-Tempered Clavier; Clef; Enclave & Exclave; James Clavell: Origin of Surname
Klondike & Yukon from Gwich'in Language; Pitcher Plant: Floral Emblem of Newfoundland & Labrador; Gorby:Muskoka Insult; Lake Mistassini Primrose; Kiack: Nova Scotia Fish Word; Manitoba Words; Toronto's Pablum, Beavertails & Ontario’s Haw-Eaters; Scrunchins & Lassy Mogs; Alberta's Hoodoo; Skookum & Chinook Jargon; Lake Huron is Racist Insult; Sockeye Salmon
Wapatoo; Asbestos: Changing the Name of a Quebec Town; Pomegranate; Spruce: Part 1; Spruce Pt.2; Prairie: Origin of the Word; The “Vicar of Bray”
Gougou: Canadian Monster; Mots d'hiver nouveaux de Québec; Canadian Winter Sayings ; Coach; Festiglace & Québec Winter Words; Wop; For the Love of Mike: Origin of Saying; Chimo ; Tsunami
New Brunswick’s Stumping ; Hootch: A Word from the Klondike Gold Rush; Newfoundland’s Fish & Brewis; Parka; Cappuccino ; Wanigan; Crummy ; Bonspiel; Regale; Ded Moroz: Russia’s Grandfather Frost ;
Canada: Origin of Country's Name ; Boche ; Neuromancer; Bivver ; Saskatoon; Mottoes of Canada; barachois;Medieval Woodcut of Time Analyzed; Carmen, Guadalupe & The Origin of Some Spanish Female Names;Etymology of the Word Farce; Hat Trick: Origin of a Sports Term
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Discover The Surprising Origins of these Canadian FOOD WORDS:
Bargou; Boucanière; Damper Dogs; Pets de soeur or Nuns’ Farts; Bugger-in-a-Bag; Canola; Haw-Eaters of Manitoulin Island; Lassy Mogs; Poivre des pauvres;Poutine; Pratie Oatens; Scrunchins; Squatum; Stog Your Gob; Irish Moss Pudding
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Recent Words, Sayings & Celebrity Names Examined
Avril Lavigne’s Surname
Belinda Stronach
Kalan Porter
Shania Twain
Keanu Reeves
Diana Krall
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Sample of my new 2006 book:
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