18 words that were once surnames
18 words that were once surnames

Video: 18 words that were once surnames

Video: 18 words that were once surnames
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There are words that we often use, but at the same time we do not remember at all that once they were also someone's names.

1. Bully is the name of an Irish family with a very violent disposition. The main one was the young Partick Bully, whose surname now and then flashed in police reports and newspaper chronicles.

2. Chauvinism comes from the name of the Napoleonic soldier Nicolas Chauvin, who served Napoleon and France with particular zeal and had the habit of expressing his patriotism and the exclusiveness of his country in pathetic common people. Remarkably, the surname comes from the word "bald" (calvinus).

3. Saxophone. Adolph Sachs presented his invention as a "mouthpiece ophicleid". This instrument was named saxophone by the composer Hector Berlioz, a friend of the inventor, in an article on the invention, and the word immediately became popular.

4. Sandwich. John Montague IV Earl of Sandwich was preparing James Cook's round-the-world expedition, and since he had no time to be distracted by food, he came up with a simple and convenient sandwich.

5. Boycott. Briton Charles Boycott worked as a manager for a landowner in Ireland. Once the workers went on strike and began to ignore the Englishman. And thanks to the British press, covering these events, the name Boycott became a household name.

6. Jacuzzi. The Italian Jacuzzi invented the Jacuzzi (Jacuzzi is an incorrect "American" pronunciation of this Italian surname, which, however, is firmly rooted in many languages of the world).

7. Olivier. Chef Lucien Olivier is known as the creator of the famous salad recipe, which remained a secret that Olivier never divulged until his death.

8. Beef stroganoff. The French chef of Count Alexander Grigorievich Stroganov invented this dish. In the French manner, it sounds like bœuf Stroganoff, that is, "Stroganoff beef."

9. Quitter. German physician Christian Ivanovich Loder opened the Artificial Mineral Water Institution, in which patients were advised to walk briskly for three hours. Common people, looking at this fuss, came up with the expression "drive a bummer."

10. Charlatan. According to legend, the word “charlatan” comes from the name of the French physician Charles Laten. He performed senseless operations, promising a full recovery, and, having received the money, went into hiding. And the unfortunate patients only got worse.

11. Nonsense. French physician Galli Mathieu believed in the healing power of laughter. He treated patients with laughter, for which he amused them with anecdotes and various nonsense.

12. Lampoon. There was one sharp-tongued citizen in Rome named Pasquino. The people loved him very much. Once, not far from Pasquino's house, a statue was erected, which was popularly named in his honor. At night, the Romans began to paste over the statue with leaflets in which they spoke caustically about their rulers.

13. Bluetooth (blue tooth - literally "blue tooth"). The developers named this technology after the Viking King Harald Blåtand, who united Denmark and Norway.

14. July and August. July is named after Julius Caesar. August - in honor of the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus.

15. Patron of the arts. The name of the first known patron of the arts was Gaius Tsilny Maecenas.

16. Silhouette. Etienne de Siluet was the controller of finance in France, but after an unsuccessful attempt to reform, he was forced to leave his post. Then he invented a new method of entertainment - to trace the shadow of a person on the wall. His guests liked this idea so much that Siluet's fame spread throughout Europe.

17. Attic. The architect François Mansart was the first to use the attic under-roof space for residential and business purposes. Since then, the attic floor under the pitched steep roof has been called the attic.

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