My logophile friend sent me an e-mail about the etymology of "irony." While he is a real word maniac, he had never looked that up. From the AHD: "ETYMOLOGY: French ironie, from Old French, from Latin rna, from Greek eirneia, feigned ignorance, from eirn, dissembler, probably from eirein, to say. See wer-5 in Appendix I."

"Feigned ignorance"....now that really says it all doesn't it? Such a perfect etymology.

Do you have any favorite etymologies? Or, ones that are strange? One that we might enjoy for some reason?

pusillanimous - lacking courage or cowardly

The etymology of this word is a little insulting to women!

Pu`sil*lan"i*mous\, a. [L. pusillannimis; pusillus very little (dim. of pusus a little boy; cf. puer a boy, E. puerile) + animus the mind: cf. F. pusillanime. See Animosity.] 1. Destitute of a manly or courageous strength and firmness of mind; of weak spirit; mean-spirited; spiritless; cowardly; -- said of persons, as, a pussillanimous prince

Sheesh! "destitute of a manly or courageous strength and firmness of mind???? In other words, is strength associated with men?

I think not!