Site Map

www.billcasselman.com 

(folders (bold titles) presented in alphabetic order)

Aboriginal Roots

Sipiy (Algonkian) = River (English)

Michif, Métis, Nishga'a, Bluenose: Origin of Names

 

 

As The Canoe Tips: Comic Scenes from Canadian Life

sample page one from my book of funny pieces

sample page 2

sample page 3: Summer Words for a Winter Day

 

 

Barry Callaghan:Essays on His Works

A page with a sample from an essay by Bill Casselman about the writings of Barry Callaghan.

 

 

BIOGRAPHY

Bio of Bill Casselman in point form.

 

       

Buy Bill Casselman Books Online at indigo.ca

 

 

Book Reviews of Word Books

#1: Curse & Berate in 69+ Languages   March 2008

 

 

Brand & Product Name Origins

Telestrator: Origin of a Product Name

 

 

Canadian Geographic Magazine

A column from March 1997: Nincompoop Bureaucrats Bungle a Bridge Name

 

 

 

Canadian Word of the Day™

Index to Archives of BC's CWOD

Saskatoon: Origin of the Word

Parka: Origin of the Word

Pibloktoq: Origin of the Word

Bivver: Origin of the Word

Neuromancer

Canada & Canuck: Origin of the Words

Régale: Its Unique Canadian Meaning

Hootch: A Word for Home Brew Made Popular in Canada

Bonspiel: Origin of a Curling Term

Wanigan

Famous Canadian Surnames

Avril Lavigne's Surname Explained

Kalan Porter's New Word

Fish and Brewis

Stumping: New Brunswick Courting Practice & Corduroy Roads

Chimo ! : Meaning of an Inuit Greeting

Diana Krall: The Meaning of her Names

Prairie: Origin of the Word

Kiack: Origin of Nova Scotia Fish Word

Gorby: Muskoka Insult

Beaver: Origin of the Word

Castor canadensis

Orillia: Spanish Place Names in Canada (1 of 3)

Tofino, Quadra, Galiano, Valdes (2)

Almonte, Oro Grande Gulch, Alhambra (3)

Summer & The Origins of the Words for the 4 Seasons

 

 

 

 

 

Zed & Zee in Canadian Speech & Spelling

Canadian Summer Sayings: Happy Sayings Just to Laugh About

Canadian, Eh? The True Story of an Interjection

Skookum: A British Columbia Word

Sockeye Salmon & Ichthyology & Ichthys as Christian Symbol

The Origins of the Names of the Great Lakes

Cyberbully: New Canadian Word

Crokinole: A Canadian Origin?

 

 

 

Casselman's Canadian Words

sample page one: Introducing Canadian words

Scum-Sucking Monsters

Skookum Skookumchuck, Chicamin, Chinook, Muckamuck, Hyak, Siwash

Lake Huron is a Racist Insult.

Sockeye Salmon

Wapatoo

Mottoes of Canada

Régale

Hootch

Klondike & Yukon

Labrador

Bobskates

To Fox a Horse: PEI Historical Phrase

Ballard Effect, Chanting the Cock, Misery Fiddle and other Canadian History Words 

 

Canadian Food Words

Introduction

Newfoundland Food Words like Lassy Mogs, Pratie Oatens, Scrunchins, and Squatum

Prince Edward Island's Irish Moss Words

British Columbia's Gooeyduck

Ontario Food Words like Pablum, Beavertails, and Haw-eaters

Quebec & Acadian Word Poutine

Acadia

Lunenburg Pudding

Mangeurs de lard versus Hivernants

Eggplant & Aubergine

Moose Muffle Soup ? A Canadian Pioneer Recipe

Cocagne, New Brunswick

Capillaire & Wintergreen:

Colcannon Night

Butter Tart: 100% Canadian Pastry

Rock Tripe

Miner's Lettuce

Apple Words

Onion & Garlic

Tourtière & Omelette

 

 

Canadian Garden Words

How Botanical Names Work plus Origin of Flower Names like Nasturtium, Pansy, and Cowslip

Plant Names like Camas, Mistletoe, Orchid, Avocado, Aubergine, Daisy, and Aster

 

 

 

 

 

Ojibwa Maple Myth and Extensive History of the Word 'Maple'

Spruce: Tree Name - Part 1

Spruce - Part 2

Canadian Primrose

Pitcher Plant

Mayapple

Bloodroot

Canadian Wild Ginger

Botanical Names: A Quick Guide

Canada Yew

Fireweed, Flower of the Yukon

Linden Tree or Basswood

 

 

Canadian Place Names

Fulda, Saskatchewan

 

 

Canadian Place Names - Unpublished

Dilbit & Synbit: Alberta Oil Words & Places

Religious Place Names of Canada

 

 

Canadian Words & Sayings

Promo and sample page for this 2006 collection of my best word stories and sayings, with all articles specially edited for home and school to remove any rude or off-colour material

 

 

Canadian Sayings

Folk Expressions

Funny Retorts and Proverbial Jokes

Expressions about Well-being

 

 

Canadian Sayings Two

More Expressions

20 Zinger Sayings

Bad Luck Expressiona

Canadian Winter Sayings

 

 

Canadian Sayings 3

Breezy Adages & Snappy Quips

Canuck Folk Speech

Drinking Too Much

10 Sayings Every Canadian Should Know

Canadian Saying about FEAR

 

                     Order this book online at www.chapter.indigo.ca

 

Canadian Sayings Not Yet Published in My Books

Alberta Folk Saying about Cattle Ranching

Hell's Out for Recess

Canadian Saying about Stephen Harper

Canadian Sayings about Death

Canadian Sayings Fall 2007 A New Batch

Canadian Sayings - New - Jan 2008

Snow Sayings & Proverbs from Canada

 

 

Canadian Sayings Unpublished

Canadian Phrases Newly Collected March 2009

Unpublished Sayings One

Editorial About Harper Saying

New Canadian Sayings Sept 2009

Cadillac, Bécosse & Screenge

Double-Edged Pip: Folk Saying about Annoyance

Canadian Folk Sayings Newly Collected Nov 2009

Newly Collected Canadian Sayings - April 2012

 

 

Casselmania

Casselmania was the title of what was in fact Casselman's Canadian Words, Volume 2.

Preface of the book

Outline of book and intro

Sample Page One

sample page two: Short Quiz

Lore of the Word 'Prairie'

Greeting Terms like Ave atque Vale, Hello, Ciao, Chimo

As Canadian as Eh, Eh?

Alberta's Hoodoo

 

 

Dictionary of Medical Derivations

Clickable sample list of some medical etymologies in the book

Study of Word Delirium

Origin of the Word Angina

Mammogram and Mammoplasty

The Word Cancer & A Note on Medical Euphemism

Malaria, Collagen, Colloid, Protocol, and Caduceus

Clitoris, Penis & Phallus

Forceps

Sac and Aneurysm

Thyroid

Insulin

Proximal & Distal

Idiopathic & Idiosyncrasy

Sebum

Carotid Artery

Hysteria: The Just Death of a Medical Word

 

 

Contact Bill Casselman by Email

 

 

Copyright Information

words and images on this website

 

 

 

English as a Second Language - - - features on this website

ESL Hints for Teachers

Canadian Sayings for ESL Students explained in plain English

Canadian Sayings for ESL Students - # 2 (#1 revised and expanded)

 

Features & Services Page

Links to Site Information

 

 

Halloween Items

Inuit Noise Ghost: A Canadian Halloween Monster

Gougou: Canadian Halloween Monster

Vintage Halloween Cards: A Small Gallery

Oak Words of the World - Part 1

Oak Words Part 2: Druid, Mistletoe & Oak Tree Myths

Oak Words Part 3: Oak Surnames & Oak Place Names

Wendigo: Cannibal Fiend of The North Woods

Bonhomme sept-heures - a Québec Bogeyman

Gougou - Canadian Monster Extraordinaire!

 

 

Holidays

Ramadan: Its Etymology

Year of the Ox & Chinese Words in English

Irish Words in Newfoundland English

Shana Tova & Other Uses of the Hebrew Adjective tov ' good'

Origin of the Word "Easter" & Paschal Obscurities

 

 

HOME PAGE or INDEX PAGE

of billcasselman.com

 

      

How To Submit Canadian Sayings

to Bill Casselman for Possible Publication

Instructions

 

Humour, Newspaper Columns & Juvenilia

Uncle Billy's Toys for 2008

 

 

Letters to Canadian Word of the Day

Letters - posted November 2007

Letters - January 2007

Recent Letters - October 2005

Letters - January 2005

Letter Answered about Medved, Russian 'bear'

Letters about the Pays des Illinois American French Dialect - June 25 2008

 

 

Links

 

 

Magazine Sample Column

Bill Casselman television column for Maclean's magazine:

Ustinov in Russia -May 1979

 

 

New Columns From April 6, 2012

Nike, Goddess of Victory & Words like Nicene Creed

Hydroponic, Geopony, Lithopone, Ponerology

Abacus, 3000-Year-Old Word

Wind Words like Simoom, Mistral & Williwaw

Papyrus & Paper; Byblos & Bible: Word Origins

A Potpourri of Popery: Papal Regalia Words

Glissando & Other Musical Words

Aloha, Ha, Haole: Hawaiian 'Breath of Life' Words

Medieval Latin Words in English

Terms in Religious Art History & Theology

House & Building Words - Part 1 of 4

House & Building Words - Part 2 of 4

House & Building Words - Part 3 of 4

House & Building Words - Part 4 of 4

Travel & Beyond the Pale

Peacock Words

Sol & Other Sun Words

Hipoteca: Spanish Word in the News

 

 

New Columns From July 2012

Fosse Way, Fossa & Fossile Words

Magus & Magic Words

Gregory: Origin of Worldwide Name

Pinguid: Origin of a FAT Adjective

Alarums & Excursions: History of the Word Alarm

Laundry & Latrine: Same Word Root

Dolphin Words

Red Words  

Farm & Farmer as Words

Gazpacho: Cold Soup/Hot Etymology

Kiln: Etymology of a Fiery Word

Whale Words

Apothecary & Derivatives: Bodega & Boutique

 

 

New Columns from November, 2012

Rock Snot: Annals of Algae

Majolica & Other Pottery Words

Tournure or Graceful Deportment

Phyllo: Greek Pastry Word Origin

Areopagitica: Annals of Rhetoric

Hyperemesis gravidarum: medical phrase in the news

Cheap's Origin

 

 

New Columns of 2013, From January

Cabiria: Strange Origin of Italian Given Name

Odd Massage Terms like Tapotement

Virus v. Virtue in Etymology Wrestling Match

Volcano Words like Pahoehoe

Volcano Words: Part 2

Hubbub: Newly Proposed Origin

Window Words

Quorum

 

 

New columns of 2013, from February

Animal Droppings: Scat Words

From Latin Navis: Noise, Nef, Navy et Al.

Siesta: Awake to Its Etymology

Copper/Cyprus : Child/Mother

Siren: from Homeric Temptress to Fire Alarm

Puffling

Proprioceptive

Trammel: from Fisnet to Hindrance

Louis: Exotic Origin of a Name

Digamma: Lost Letter

 

 

New Columns of 2013, from May 20

Common Once Opposite of Immune

Curfew

Bad, Obscene & Silly Car Names

Nomen est Omen: Silly Latin Saying

Star Words

Rhapsody & Scrotal Raphe

 

 

New Columns of 2010

How Beaver Became a Dirty Word

 

New Pages

This page lists every column on the site with the date of its first posting and whether or not it was a repost. It begins with the latest columns addded most recently.

 

 

New Year's Pages

2005 - Brief Comment on one of William Blake's illustrations to The Book of Job

2006 Update of Blake page

Sabrage: New Year's Eve Word

Blake Revised 2011

 

 

New Words or Neologies

The New Noun & Verb "Shart"

Fidiot

Creepy New English Verb: To Tase

 

 

Panopticon of Verbal Rarities

#5 Cuckingstool, Rixatrix & Wittol

 

 

PHOTO ALBUM

page 1

page 2

page 3

page 4

page 5

page 6

 

 

Place Names of the World

Arabic Place Names - Part 1

Kitsilano

The Many Names of Egypt

 

 

Québec Sayings / Les Dits Québécois

French-Canadian Sayings- part one

French-Canadian Sayings - part two

Québec Sayings - part three

Quebec Sayings & Current Expressions - part 4

Québec Sayings # 5  &  Metathesis Explained

Québec Sayings # 6 L'Épluchette:Quebec Corn Roast/Husking Bee

Québec Sayings # 7 - Tuque Expressions & Other Quebecisms

Québec Sayings # 8 -Bread Words & Habitant

Québec Sayings Part # 9 :

Quebec Sayings # 10 - Gorlot Phrases

Chiard & Fecal Word Origins

Marde & Merde & Other Quebec Vulgarisms

Québec Insults & Sayings - Part 8 - not the same as Bread Words above

Le Mitin: A Québec Borrowing from English 

Poupoune

British Reporter Can't Spell Québec Words

Québec Words & Phrases - Part 10

Dep & Guichet: Québec English Words & “Sticky Wicket”

Tthe Acadian Verb Jaser

Jouer Fessier

Québec Place Names: New Ideas

Agace-Pissette et Gino & Other Quebec Terms

Québec Proverbs - Part Eleven

Québec Expressions - Part 13

Québec Sayings & Proverbs - Part 14

More Acadian Words

 

 

Questions & Answers

For the Love of Mike!

The Vicar of Bray

 

 

Recipe for Silly Chilli by Billy

 

 

Samples from MY WORD BOOKS

 

 

SCHEDULE - - for radio, tv, speeches, appearances & bookstore signings byof Bill Casselman

 

 

Surnames of the World

Dmitri Medvedev: Origin of Russian Names

Mozart: The Surprising Meaning of his Surname revised and expanded June 2008

 

 

Unpublished Canadiana 2008-2009

Tories & Grits: Origins of Canadian Political Party Nicknames

 

 

Unpublished Pieces by Bill Casselman

 

The Word Farce

5 Spanish Female Names

Unpublished Canadian Sayings Collected Oct 2006

Catnip & Cat

Prickly Pear Cactus:

Anishinaabe: Origin of an Ethnonym

Skid Means 'Street Kid.'

Mask & Masquerade

Calgary Stampede

Canadian West Coast Expressions

Bad Names for New Cars

Hoodoo

Albertosaurus

Crowdsourcing

A Swarm of Bee Words

Cephalic, The Vein with the Wrong Name

Alberta Horse Words & Your Coccyx

Unpublished Canadian Sayings posted June 20, 2007

Fee & Other Cow Words Part 1

Cow Words Part 2: Cow, Vache & Vacca

Cow Words Part 3: Vaccine & Pecuniary

Sputnik

Fennel & Finocchio:

Oak Words of the World - Part 1

Oak Words Part 2: Druid, Mistletoe & Oak Tree Myths

Oak Words Part 3

"Bordens & Brownies"- Canadian Racetrack Slang

Sousveillance: Coined by a Canadian

Nippertipping & Bumsicle

Sinus

English Words from Chinese, Like Tea

Astrobleme

Giclée: A Printing Term

Lariat, Lasso & Honda: Cowboy Words

Porcelain: A Marco Polo Word

White Adjectives 

Twat: Origin of a Rude Word

Cunt: A Blunt Etymology of the Word

Juniper & Gin

Why I am NOT a Word Cop: 2008 Canada Day Essay

Geophagy: Eating Dirt

The Botched Names of Botanical Nomenclature

Olympic Games Named After Mount Olympus?

Olympic Word & Phrase

Barack Obama: The Meaning of His Given Name

Asbestos: Shame of Canada - updated report

 

 

Unpublished Columns - Part 2

Ramadan

Vor & Phag: Latin & Greek "Eat" Roots in English Vocabulary

Renoviction: Creepy New Canadian Word

Chaloshes, Tchotchke, Tchainik, Shpilkes:Four Yiddish Words

Boneyize: A West Coast Canadian Verb

Flux, Afflux, Efflux, Influx, Reflux,Effluxion

Subnivian

Nanoscaffold

Superjuice: New Canadian Aboriginal Bootlegger Term

Peanut

Kamik, Asham, Babiche, Bear Paw: Canadian Winter Boot Words

Charles Darwin's Surname

Narcissus: Word & Myth

Ponzi

Jouer Fessier

Vexillology & Other Flag Words

Tat

Soap

 

 

Unpublished Columns

- Part 3

 

Gout & Guttersipe

 

Coteau - Rolling Grasslands of Saskatchewan

 

Nuisance Grounds & Other Garbage Words

Bleeding Heart

Pitot Tube

Galilee: Origin of a Hebrew Place Name & The God Pan

Canadianisms: A New Batch including kabloona and first sparrow fart

Kif: Arabic Dope Word Circles the Earth

Juju: an African Magic Word

School: Its Etymology

Fig: Origin of the Word & of the Obscene Gesture

 

 

Unpublished Columns - Part 4

Celibacy: The Word & The Practice

Schiaparelli: Origin of an Elegant Italian Surname

Bastard & Other -Ard Words: Study of a Pejorative Suffix

Pip: A Canadian Saying about Annoyance

Obscure Verbs of Leaping: to Pronk, to Stott, to Saltate

Firn - Unusual Snow Term in English

Skiff - Rare Snow Word

Graupel & Chionablepsia: Rare Snow Words

 

Unpublished Columns Part 5 - in 2010

St. John's Wort, Spring & Galen

New -Shed Words like Walkshed & Viewshed

Gentian: Origin of a Flower Name

Circus, the Word

Frog: Origin of a Racist Insult

Oik: British Slang Worth Revival

Potty-Mouth: Etymology of a "Dirty" Synonym

Billet-Doux: Word Lore of a French Phrase

Fishmonger, Meet Wordmonger

Tabula Rasa: Latin Phrase Worth Knowing

Chode / Chod: A Newish Dirty Word

Family First Meant ‘House Full of Slaves’

Lobate Scarp: Wordlore of Science Words

Origin of the Word Amusement

Diploma, Protocol, Archive: Ancient Document Words

 

 

Unpublished (New) Columns of 2011

Nivosity & Hibernaculum: Winter Words Revisited

The Bogus Rhetorical Word ‘Paraprosdokian’

Auriga & Quadriga: Roman Chariot Words

Tuque: Origin of Word

 

Unpublished Columns from September 2011

L'Anse aux Meadows: Canadian Place Name & A New Etymology of the Word Medusa

Disfluency: Newish Buzz Word in Phonology

Entomophage: Eating Bugs is Fun!

Bunkie & Bunkbed Origins

Turaco & Sea Eagle: Bird etymologies

Escharotomy & Eschar & Scar Words

Helluo Librorum: Bookworm Words

Colchicum or Autumn Crocus

Pukka: Origin of a British Compliment

Latin, Greek & German Company Names

Hoon & Gadzookery: Rare Words Explained

Fent: Naughty Word & Fabric Swatch

Stylite & Astylar: Pillar Words

Haft, Hilt, Handle & Other Sword Words

Quebec Expressions - Part 13

The Roots of the Word 'Squirrel'

Proteus & Protea

Canopy & Canapé from Egyptian “Mosquito” Word

 

 

Unpublished Columns Posted from January 2012

Oxytocin & Med. Words from tokos Greek 'childbirth'

Wind-Rose & Advection

Nidus Latin 'nest' & English Derivatives

Butterfly & Leper: A Strange Connection

Rubbish: A New Etymology

Autopsy: Dissecting the Word

Rigor Mortis, Algor Mortis & Adipocere

Lycoperdon + Mitt Romney in Latin!

Samara: The Maple Key Word

Shit & Shitepoke: 2 Word Origins

Swag, Pelf, Lucre & Words for Ill-gotten Gain

At Stool: Commodious Study of Fecal Word

 

 

Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day 2007

 

 

What's in a Canadian Name?

Intro to Canadian Names like Shania, Mike Bullard, and Neve Campbell.

Adams

The Surname Trudeau

Name joke

Keanu Reeves

Michael Ignatieff

Veronica Tennant

Banting

Mozart: Surprising Origin of his Surname.

The Real McCoy, Elijah McCoy

Tilley

Louis Dudek

Abbott & McNab

Ed Stelmach

Dion & Dionne

Burgess & Hog Reeve

 

 

Winter Words

Winter Words & Rare Words & Year-End Email 2007

Quinzhee: A Canadian Winter Shelter Word

Winterbourne, rare winter word

Fimbulvinter as a winter word

Hiemal, Brumal, Algid: Winter Words 3

 

 

 

Wintergram Archives - Selected entries only

Wintergram Archives Index Page

Wintergram 2007

Wintergram 2006

The Man Who Drew Santa: Thomas Nast

Medieval Woodcut of Time with a Scythe

1956 Canadian Skier Stamp

Japanese Woodblock of Snow Falling on a Temple

Do Dogs Do Snow Angels?

Thomas Nast: The Man Who Designed Santa Claus: Revised & Expanded column of December 2007

 

 

 

The Wording Room™

features some of my word lore

A Risley Act

Easter is the Name of a Pagan Goddess

Origin of the Word Wop

Boche: Racist Slur

Is Ded Moroz, Russia's 'Grandfather Frost' cognate with English word dad?

Pomegranate

Basketball Coach & Hungarian Cart

Asbestos

Clavier, Clef, Clavell, Enclave, Exclave

Autoclave & Moon Base Clavius

Clavicle

Conclave

Mother

Wog: Racist Insult

Funis, Latin 'rope' & Funiculi, Funicula!

Digitariat

Antumbra

Brand-New

Hello! Ciao! Words of Greeting

Snye: A 100% Canadian Term

Plantagenets & Plantar Warts

Racist Slang of Canada

Frankum: Newfoundland Chewing Gum

Hudson's Bay Hymn Book

The Birch Tree

To Parp a Klaxon

Lord & Lady

Notes from The Wording Room - # 1

Locker-Boxing: Amateur Hockey Violence

Bastard Canoe

Death Euphemisms

Vole & Other Viking Words in English

Nappy: Origin of a Racist Insult

Farce: an Etymology (revised April 2007)

Alberta Place Names

Horse Words

Herb as a Word

Mi'kmaq "Food" Place Names of Nova Scotia

Tuque -Canada's National Winter Headgear

 

 

Word News & Word Notes

Tsunami Origin

How to Contribute to Recognized Tsunami Relief Funds with Lists & Links

Nicolas de Chamfort Controversy & his Biography

Merry Christmas in Many Languages

 

 

Words of the World

Nogoodnik: Russian Origin of an Anglo-Yiddish Term

Percebe: Spanish Word Entering English

 

 

Xmas Items

Etymology of Christmas Carol

Fimbulvinter: Old Norse Winter

Thomas Nast: The Man Who Designed Santa Claus

Merry Christmas Polyglot

Sun, Stand Still! The Etymology of Solstice

Luke Xmas Story in Eng., Latin & Greek

 

-------------------------

end of site map of billcasselman.com

 

 

Any comments, additional word lore or book orders?

Please email me at wordguy@shaw.ca

 

 

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