The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-06-08
THE BIRTH OF WORDS
A WEALTH OF EXPRESSIONS FROM
THE HUMAN BODY.

Hand Alone and Almost as Many
Are Derived From the Head.
The human body-its limbs, fingers,
toes, mouth, nose, ears, head and some
of the internal organs-haS originated
hundreds of words In one Of the
large dictionaries more than 400 are
found related to the hand alone and
almost as many to the head.
Index, indicate, predicate, from
Greek word for finger, mean that
which points out. So oracle and orator
refer to what comes out of the mouth.
Audience, audible, auscNltation, the
auditing of accounts, originally after
Clearing" of the officials, are traceable
to the ear Spirit means the breath
and is also found in conspire, "to
breathe together" inspire, ito breathe
in," and even in perspire, ''to breathe
through impeachment is something
against the foot ELL the cloth meas
ure, is the length of the forearm. The
hair in capillary attraction means the
power exerted through the capillary or
hairlike tubes.
The heart (cordis) is to be observed
in cordial, or heartening, drink;
cordial, or hearty, manner; the core of
an apple Dents in wood or metal get
their name from their resemblance to
tooth marks. The tongue sticks out in
several words, like language and lin
gust.
In some countries anybody may rise
by his own merits to be somebody,
even to the "head'' Of the nation or of
the church; be a head master of a
school, head revolution, take up
''arms" and prove to be a capital
that is headmost-soldier and the
chief (head) of the army.
Corporal punishment is bodily pun
ishment; capital punishment is pun
ishment by decapitation, or taking off
the head A corporal-that is, a cap
oral-means the same as captain-that
is, the head of body of foot soldiers.
A colonel is one who has been crown
ed. The commander in chief, or head
commander, compels the chieftains, or
headmen of the enemy, to capitulate-
that is, surrender according to an
agreement that is divided into capitu-
las, or little heads, or chapters.
A heady and headstrong ruler some
times makes people wish he was head
less. To make Roadway against his
foes he may have to rush headlong into
difficulties or take header into the
unknown sea of politics. Among some
peoples one with the big head is likely
to lose it. Under some the headship Of
the ship of state does not make head
way against the head winds of events
or around the ''cape," or headland, just
ahead. He may plunge into trouble
over head and ears, and his opponents
have to put their heads together to
head him off, so as to prevent head
on collision with another nation. Some
men hate to be treated as ldeadheads
at political headquarters or as so many
head of cattle or as mutton heads or
cabbage heads, cabbage itself being
from an old Spanish word meaning
head.
Some men "play their hand" for all
there is in it. Some stretch out the
glad hand to every one. Some keep
hand IN glove with those engaged in
sunderland proceedings as well as with
those who have climbed to high places
hand over hand. When the right man
says ''Hands off, even his right hand
man would not lay hands on what was
forbidden The clock hands tell us If
we are beforehand or behindhand.
A handsome man originally was one
who used his hands skillfully and so
was graceful and probably, therefore,
good looking. Although every one car
iries a palm in his hand, people no
longer, with palms in their hands, wei
come their heroes. One may have his
finger in too many pies and tread on
too many toes. Ones chirography,
manuscript, handwriting-they are all
one-may be rather coarse. but his fine
hand is detected in many public docu-
ment and so arouse opposition to his
handling the funds. This might prove
q severe handicap, which was original
ly so called from the jockeys putting
their hands into a cap and drawing
lots for the places that their horses
were to have in the race. Footstool
and foot rule sound alike, but In the
first foot is the literal, in the second
the fgurative, use of the word.
Though the politician put his best
foot forward he may find his foothold
getting insecure and begin wondering
what's afoot. His coachman, mount
ing the footboard, may be insolent; his
footman, contemptuous; his chef, or
head cook, neglectful. He may be
ridiculed before the footlights as a
social footpad, living hand to mouth
existence at the expense of the tax
payers. While they are insisting on
his toeing the mark and he is hanging
to his position by the toe nails, as the
saying is, he may well wish he was
back on his native foothills.
Were he arrested he might be hand
cuffed and letters, or feeters, placed
upon his feet. He might not even have
an opportunity of making mouths or
showing his teeth at his enemies He
might in other days be turned over to