This week's theme on Wordcraftjr is toponyms, and yesterday's word (probably mistakenly ) was bikini.

Obviously, bikini was named for the Bikini atoll in the Marshall Islands. In 1946 the U.S. tested an A-bomb test there. According to dictionary.come, the bathing suit definition developed from the analogy of the explosive force of the bomb and the impact of the bathing suit style on men's libidos. Etymology.com does say that there have been "various explanations" for the etymology of bikini and that this is the only convincing one. Still, it seems odd to me. Does anyone know more?

The one I heard was that there was very little left of the atoll after the test, just as there is very little material in the swimsuit.

K., we did discuss this before in another thread. I posted that the atoll's alternative name is Pikinni. AFAIK, the toponym, the placename, precedes the swimsuit. The US has been in the Marshall Islands for a while. Kwajalein was an important airbase in the planned invasion of Japan in WW2. And it was the hydrogen bomb that we tested there.

I do remember that thread and should have linked to it. I understand the bathing suit was named after the Bikini Atoll (is "atoll" capitalized? Sometimes it is and sometimes isn't, from what I've seen) and that in 1946 the U.S. tested an A bomb there. What I don't understand (and didn't find it in that excellent link of yours, though I could have missed it) is how the testing of an A bomb in Bikini is related to a 2-piece bathing suit. Am I missing something? I will Google around.

It's pretty much like arnie suggested. Have you ever seen the documentary Atomic Cafe? There were lots of things being named after the A-bomb theme.

Kalleh: You're right, according to H-C Dict of Am. Slang

...by 1980's Very brief underpants [named for the very brief 1940's bathing costume, which was named in turn after Bikini atoll, where nuclear bombs were tested in 1946]

Why it took 40 years to catch on is beyond me

Why H-C didn't cap. "Atoll" is also beyond me

The bikini swimsuit caught on shortly after its introduction after World War 2 and the Bikini nuclear tests. Bikini brief underpants (knickers) caught on after their introduction in the 80s. What don't you understand?

Dale, so "Atoll should be capitalized? I wanted to be accurate on Wordcraftjr, as they are just learning. First I capitalized it, then I edited it and uncapitalized it based on articles I'd seen, and now should I go back and capitalize it?

It seems to be pretty consistently capitalized. Makes sense, like we capitalize Channel Islands or the British Isles.

[fixed typo]

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,

Yes, I see your point. I will go back over there and capitalize it. I had originally found several sites with it not capitalized, but now I see that's incorrect.

It's interesting to me that Etymology.com disagrees with people here about the origin of bikini, as cited above.

zm: What I didn't realize was that the knickers didn't catch on til later. You see I am an old fellow on the brink of Alzheimers and always grateful when somebody sets me straight so tactfully

brink of Alzheimers

Sorry, Dale, I'll try to have more tact in the future. I've always thought of you as a young whippersnapper. On the Net nobody knows how old you are.

Looked at some more online articles for the bikini, and after its introduction of the swimsuit in 1946 by Louis Reard, who called it the bikini in reaction to an earlier two piece swimsuit (designed by Jacques Heim) that had been called the atome (French atom). It seems the swimsuit didn't really take off until the late '50s when Brigitte Bardot wore one to acclaim in her then husband's film And God Created Woman.

zm: Thank you for that

I'm a whippersnapper but not young

Actually a curmudgeon

Is one of the prerequisites of the word "curmudgeon" that the person is old? Most of the definitions say "old," but not all of them.

kalleh:

2: a crusty, ill-tempered and usu old man--1973 Merriam Collegiate

Merriam is the last word and the only reliable Webster

1973 Merriam Collegiate

There are later editions.

Merriam is the last word and the only reliable Webster

Though, I love my ancient 1964ish edition of Meriam-Webster's Collegiate, it is hardly the last word. The Webster's 3rd, American Heritage, and the august OED come closer and deserve praise, also.

Zmj, you inspired me to check the online OED, and lo and behold...no "old" in the definition! There is only one definition cited, and it is: "An avaricious churlish fellow; a miser, a niggard." The first cite in the OED is from 1577: "1577 STANYHURST Descr. Irel. 102/2 in Holinshed, Such a clownish Curmudgen"

There is also this very interesting analysis of the word. (You learn so much from that OED! ):

"The occurrence in Holland's Livy, 1600, of CORNMUDGIN (q.v.) has led to a suggestion that this was the original form, with the meaning ‘concealer or hoarder of corn’, mudgin being associated with ME. much-en, mich-en to pilfer, steal, or muchier, Norman form of OF. mucier, musser to conceal, hide away. But examination of the evidence shows that curmudgeon was in use a quarter of a century before Holland's date, and that cornmudgin is apparently merely a nonce-word of Holland's, a play upon corn and curmudgeon. The suggestion that the first syllable is cur, the dog, is perhaps worthy of note; but that of Dr. Johnson's ‘unknown correspondent’, cur méchant for F. méchant cur, ‘evil or malicious heart’, is noticeable only as an ingenious specimen of pre-scientific ‘etymology’, and as having been retailed by Ash in the form, ‘from the French cur unknown, and mechant a correspondent’!"