[Word Powers] Friday Fiesta - August 2009

This section covers the origin of certain words.

Assassin (uh-sas-in)

Meaning:

Noun: One of an order of Islam fanatics, active in Persia and Syria from about 1090 to 1272, whose chief object was to assassinate Crusaders.

During the time of the Crusades the members of a certain sect engaged people to terrorise their enemies by performing murders as a religious duty. These acts were carried out under the influence of hashish. Hence evolved the word “assassin” (from “Hasha-sin”).

“Phoney” (foh-nee)

Meaning:

Not real or genuine; fake; counterfeit

British thieves and swindlers of old used many secret code words. One such word was “fawney”, which referred to a gilt ring. They would sell these, saying that they were made of real gold. But the rings were not genuine gold, thus giving rise to “phoney”.