Muscle - Man or Mouse?
Had sand kicked in your face by a “muscle man”?
Taunted by the football players in your class?
Use this latest lesson by HotForWords (me 
) to change your perception of the situation,
and you’ll have the “muscle men” cowering in the corner and the ladies swooning all over you in minutes! Guaranteed! 
Oh… and digg my story.. button on the right.. to see if we can get the digg effect:-)
Remember to vote for your teacher over at the Best Weekend Ever Website.
You can vote up to 5 times a day.
Posted on February 10, 2008 · Filed Under Lessons
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as for as worrying of someone bigger than you with alot of musle they cannot get past me and my M16 & berreta M9A1 and like marina with her russian ak 47 i am an american with an M16A2
What, no Ma-Deuce?
what about a woman with big breast some people call them puppies like baby dogs
That’s not the best advice when dealing with a goon….. Sticks and stones may break my bones right? So use sticks and stones. You could think of him as a mouse…. but that “mouse” is really gonna hurt when it decks you in the mouth. Stick to the word synthesizing and not the bully tactics, or try your way, but carry a big stick with you just in case.
Hi Marina….I am new to your great site and was wondering if you ever did any country song words….how about doing a video on HONKEYTONK…..hope I spelled it right….
I have recommended your site to all my redneck friends…keep up the great work…
I was watching some of your videos and a word that came to mind was floatation. The spell-check kept underlining the word. All this time I thought it was spelled with an “A”. It does mean something that makes you float right?
inef85 of Morphologia, wrote…
Due to your recurring interest in endeavors which guide you through the suprisingly refreshing rabbit holes which some of us like to refer to as the gems found at the nexus between history and morphology ….
I believe I understand what I think you intended to convey but I’m not convinced that what I read is the true meaning of what you wrote…
inef85, that was a masterpiece! You must be the new Lewis Carroll. You certainly seem to have discovered a rich motherlode down that rabbit hole.
To the illustrious Princess of our beloved Republic, Marina:
Due to your recurring interest in endeavors which guide you through the suprisingly refreshing rabbit holes which some of us like to refer to as the gems found at the nexus between history and morphology (ahem… findings like “faggot” and funny ironies like “hot dog”), I would like to suggest that you explore the following word for us:
“Philippic” - a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation; a tirade
-inef85 of Morphologia,
Republic of Lexicon
I stumbled across this little charm in a pop-culture infused Paul Simon song named “A simple desultory philippic.” If you’re curious enough, I’m sure it’s on youtube.
Marina,
I am always impressed by your podcast. Here is a word that I think you should investigate:
Today, the word “Torpedo” means a self-propelled underwater missile. However, in the Civil War, Admiral Farragut is famous for saying during his assault on Mobile Bay, “Damn the Torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Of course, he was referring to what we would call mines, not torpedoes.
Then, in a Tort claims case from 1936 the defendant was accused of failing to protect the patrons of his movie theater from an unruly person in the balcony who was “throwing firecrackers and torpedoes promiscuously over the auditorium.” Marek v. Southern Enterprises, Inc., 128 Tex. 377, 99 S.W.2d 594 (1936).
What I want to know is how Torpedo went from a generic word used to describe any explosive to one that we use exclusively to describe, well, Torpedoes.
Thanks,
Ben
how about the words — subtle or segue. both pronounced way differently than they’re spelled.
Hello Marina,
I would like to know what is the root of procrastination. Also, congratulations on your contribution to our learning and …….. entertainment.
heres a good one:
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Easy, think of it as a Lieutenant Govenor…you know, the second in command?
Okay, during this presidiential campaign, I think a great word for the times would be zeitgeist! It definately sounds German, and I would bet it is… I would think it would be “advantageous” for this word to be a word for some time soon,
yes, it is.
zeit = time.
geist = mind, intellect, esprit, psyche …
see rhinopezguy’s post above.
Good day Marina,
I would like to get your feelings and thoughts of the word “sensual.” The feelings I get from the word are purely physical and unexplainable on how to describe the complex emotions I get just from the word itself. I even get a stir of things inside me just the way my mouth moves saying the word.
One part of the body named afer a person is Achilles tendon.
I would like to know where the phrase “knock your socks off” came from as have always heard that and just wonder how that came about
There are a lot of body parts, on a celluar level, that are named after the person who discovered them. The first one that came to mind was “Nodes of Ranvier” which I remembered from a psychology class years ago.
I’m interested in the word “Zeitgeist” and since there are no Z word listed I thought I suggest one.
“Zeitgeist,” from my understanding derives from German
—-[zeit] meaning “time” and [geist] meaning “spirit” (sort of… “geist” is kind of a problematic word for translation, as a german-speaking friend told me. It can also mean something to the effect of “drive” or “will.” It’s more of a concept than a concrete noun)
“geist” i believe is also partially where we get our word “ghost” from in English.
…there are a handfull of words like this one that I seem to remember coming accross in litereature classes in college (even though we were speaking spanish) because what they really mean or express is more or less lost in translation. Examples of others I remember are the idea of “volkgeist” and the generalization of “sturm und drang”
rhinopezguy, see juballl’s posting below.
inef,
“volksgeist” is something like the “soul” of a nation. (hegel … not worth reading.)
what do you mean by “_generalization_ of ’sturm und drang’”?
> “geist” i believe is also partially where
> we get our word “ghost” from in English.
at least from another germanic language, yes.
alx,
lol –thanks for the hegel bit. by “generalization” of ’sturm und drang’ I was simply referring to the fact that it is often taken somewhat out of context to refer to early german romanticism (i was studying spanish literature for a little while in spain and I had remembered discussing romanticism as a movement throughout Europe).
it’s actually not likely to be early german romanticism (that is, in exact accordance with the family of european romantic literature) but has some significantly distinct attributes… a simple google search pulled this up:
http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&U ID=1266
Marina, it’s that time of year, can you tell us where did the word “Love” come from AND what does it mean!!
I’m curious about the word “Rhythm”
How does that word associate with music?
O.k. - suddenly I’m able to post here… odd.
Your videos keep getting better and better, Marina. So does your website. Keep up the good work! I learn something new every time!
Anyway - This comment gives you some eponym body parts:
Adam’s apple
artery of Adamkiewicz
Broca’s convolusion (see “Broca’s Brain”)
These are some “interesting” ones….
Buck’s fascia
Frankenhauser’s ganglion
canal of Nuck
Pawlik’s triangle
I have 2 words I’m curious about
1) heist - it seems like we only use it for the theft of really expensive things, why?
2) ombudsman - where did that come from??
“ombudsman” is a word which the British Parliament lifted directly from Scandinavia in 1959, because they couldn’t think of a suitable English word to use.
“om” is a preposition meaning, among lots of other things, “of or about”.
“bud” is a word meaning “command or order” as in “de ti bud - the 10 commandments”.
So, an “ombudsman” is a man who makes commandments about something, thus its meaning of “a parliamentary commissioner appointed to investigate complaints by individuals against maladministration by public authorities” and subsequently to make orders to rectify or compensate.
I’d really like to *see* the word “pussy” explained.
Why/when did that word start to be used to describe the female boday part?
Thanks!
Well, you are probably just being vulgar, but:
It was used as a term of endearment for a girl or woman, from 1583 (also used of effeminate men), but it’s possibly from the Old Norse word “puss” meaning “pocket, pouch” (cf. Low Ger. puse “vulva”), but perhaps instead from the cat word “pussy” on notion of “soft, warm, furry thing;” cf. Fr. le chat, which also has a double meaning, feline and genital. But the use of pussy as a term of endearment argues against the vaginal sense being generally known before late 19th century e.g.: ” ‘What do you think, pussy?’ said her father to Eva.” [Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," 1852]
prospero811,
Your responded with propriety and eloquence, an act that deserves commendation. “If you consider what are called the virtues in mankind, you will find their growth is assisted by education and cultivation.” [Xenophon, 434 BC-355 BC]
buzzword
There is a list of eponymous body parts at this site:-
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Human_anatomical_parts_name d_after_people
Everything from “Achilles tendon”, which I guess most people could think of, to the “Zonule of Zinn” (I kid you not).
The one which amused my twisted mind was the third one listed, “the pudendal canal”, also called the “Al cock canal”
Now how about the origin of the word “kid” in its meaning of “to hoax or to try to make one believe what is not true”?
I would like to know what “Son of a gun” is supposed to mean and where “Jaywalker” comes from.
Dear Marina:
I was wondering about the work “sit”. It’s a small and simple word with many meanings.
Have a great Valentine’s Day.
Jarvic heart
or
the “cockles of (one’s) heart”, if we know any cockle’s, hehe (”mollusk or crustacean”).
how about the word “Boobs”?
Deefinition : Guys that make comments like this. Try to be nice here , this is like Marinas house, you’re an invited quest. Don’t get us all kicked out.
I am not requesting a specifc word. I was wondering if you could make a few comments on the history behind the varied pronunciations of words that end in -ough. For example: tough, bough, though, through, cough, hiccough, etc. How did this happen?
I love your videos. I’ve just discovered you this weekend, and I’ve watched them all! I’m very much addicted! You have a great personality, a wonderful sense of humor that includes self-deprecation (!), and your investigations, comments, and word games are both informative and fun.
Dear Marina,
Roses are red, Violets are blue, it is getting closer to valentines day, would you send me a message of love, for my ‘Circle of Willis’ is not sending enough blood around my brain, because my heart it aches dear lady, it aches with pain when I think of you across the sea….
May all your dreams come true!
jcnick.
You said to name a body part named after a person… how about the name Richard= aka Dick. How did the male appendage get that name anyway?
Jess
Marina:
As a physician I can tell you that there are many eponyms in the body but one of my favorites is Kiesselbach’s Plexus. You encounter it every day and you probably never even know it.
FF
i’m so hot for the word “exaggrate” investigation, could you please?…
hello, i was reading on internet the other day and i saw this word….”nudiustertian” could you investigate it?? please
.
thank you for all the words you investigate is really useful, all my roomates knows the muscle/mouse story is so funny
gracias
as markool19 posted in youtube the spanish language has a lot of words with all the vowels, actually they are 34, i will put them and the translation into english , i hope that marina can told about words in english with all the vowels apart of eutopia
they are: ( i write if they are in both languages or just in spanish)
Descuidado: careless
Persuación : persuasion (this is for both languages)
Degustación: tasting
Estudiando: studying
Enunciado: phrased
Numeración: numbering
Ocurrencia : occurrence
Curiosear : browse
Perturbación : perturbation (this is for both languages)
Secundario: Secondary
Neumático: pneumatic, tyre
Estimulado: stimulated
Manutención: maintenance
Fecundación: fertilization
Meticulosa: meticulous
Adulterio : adultery
Abuelito : little grandad
Estudiosa : studious
Estuario : estuary
Murciélago: bat
Entusiasmo: enthusiasm
Putrefacción : Putrefactive
Vestuario : clothes
Precaución : precaution (this is for both languages)
Ecuación equation (this is for both languages)
Educación : education (this is for both languages)
Luteranismo : luteranism
Feudalismo : feudalism
Neumonía : Pneumonia
Auténtico : authentic
Educativo : educational (this is for both languages) is like you teacher!
Menstruación . menstruation (this is for both languages)
Euforia :euphoria (this is for both languages)
Reputación : reputation (this is for both languages)
Wow Hitman-Ifranquito
you have opened my view, i’m a native spanish speaker, and i manage pretty well the english my mom is from there and i lived in a English speaking country, and i am so used to be using those words, like education, and i never noticed that it has the five vowels, and the same with most of the ones you put above. Maybe because in grammar school the example of a word with five vowels was “murcielago” was the reason why i had it in my mind, but is very interesting what you post. Where are you from?
markool19: i am russian, i am from moscow so i speak russian that is obvious but i started learning spanish just for fun i then i did an interchange with a student of russian from argentina (i don’t recommend it) so that make me a skillful spanish speaker.
[Hitman] so random that I love it! my family is from Guadalajara but I live in Los Angeles so I speak Spanish and English. Interestingly enough, over the last 4 years i’ve developed a strong interest in Russian (via my gf) even though one of my undergrad degrees was in spanish (literatures and such).
haha glad to see there are others out there with this seemingly random mix of languages too!
-inef85
Wow, que interesante entonces podemos hablar en español? sería padre que Marina nos hiciera una sesión multilingue. Hitman Do you think she might be western european or russian? THe western and northern i have been in Europe has been Bulgary and Germany, and she doesnt speak neither look like them.
Marko
!ostia que rapido me contestaste! me falta el teclado multilingual para escribir en espanol jaja
me parece que puede ser russa (but I’m biased because I’m around russians a lot and that’s the first thing I think of). I had a super-cute and super-intelligent organic chemistry teacher in college that was bulgarian who she reminds me of, but accent was slightly different than marina’s (from what I remember).
me encantaria una session multilingue pero me cae que le gusta tener eso de misterio y no me imagino que lo veremos pronto.
entonces vives en moscow? me falta todavia viajar por russia pero si voy se me hace que mi primera para sera’ Saint Petersburg… de lo que me dicen mosow es un poco como el D.F. (ciudad de mexico) que no me gusta tanto jaja (but agian, i’m biased)
ti zniesh kdie “messaging” app on this website or something so that the rest of the world doesn’t get bored w/our conversation?
love the lesson !….duh !…i wonder why !…lol…well the only body part i cold think of was the obvious !….and that was the ackillies heel !…i think thats how you spell it ?..lol…
mik.
A lady I work with is Israeli and she asked me the meaning of “custodian”. I told her and then began to wonder why a custodian is called a “custodian”. Does it have something to do with custody? Anyway, I didn’t have an answer so I thought I’d ask you! Thanks!
first off, I think I am in luv, secondly u might be thinking to yourself, I wish Birdie would “86″ these kinda comments. which brings me to my word request or phrase i guess. I know were it comes from and has been used in the resturant bizz for a long time. but do u know where the term “86 it” comes from, which means to stop it, or to take it off the menu , or to kill it….
thanks, ur studious pupil y2kbird
Hi Marina!!!!!
first of all CONGRATULATIONS for be pleasing our minds & brains …
I’d like to request a expression that has nothing to do w/ the last lesson:
“three some”
by the way, I’ll take the change to ask to you: where your accent came from…
Keep doing great!!!
bye
about the last question, i answer by my self:
- It’s RUSSIAN!!!!
I’m right????
If so, why hells did you end to be an english philologist????
Thank’s Marina!!!
Well… celsofritzen, since all the words seem to derive from the same sources… it really doesn’t matter whether I am an English Philologist or other language, right? So I chose English as it’s a challenge for me that way!
celsofritzen, i can answer you , she has a russian or west european accent , i can told it because i born i Moscow, (i am russian) but now i live in Novosibirsk (i m getting my degree there in the well known university of this town) the accent from east europe sound very similar to her accent ( and the english of russian speakers too)
i hope i solve your problem but was it so important?
English is also a fun choice because of the amount of words included in the english vocabulary. English may have the most words of any language. This is due in part to amount of words borrowed from other languages. By studying English one is able to identify the numerous cultural influences that shaped Western Civilization and continues to do so. However, as an Anthropologist I must add that a culture cannot be valued based upon the characteristics of its language. English is not superior or inferior, nor any other language.
i agree with buzzword , but i din’t learn english for fun i learned it because is a useful tool for peolple like me who writes with another characters and speak differently.The russian culture is a rich one and i am very proud of it but another cultures has their advanteges and disadvantages . For example we have the chess and the and you have mac donals (just a joke
) you have the super bowl or the nba.
i agree that cultures are different but none of them are better than others
I disagree that all languages are on the same level or equally good. That is like saying that all sandwiches are equally good, or all countries or all cultures,
There are always better or worse of almost everything you can compare. 
> I disagree that all languages
> are on the same level or equally good.
and the reason for that is … ?
and examples are … ?
maybe languages like cultures have their good and bad points but none of them are the best.. just stop this superfluous discussion…
superfluous that’s a good word for Marina…
OK!!!!!
Marina, thank your replying, and, since I’m not a english native speaker (I’m netheir livin’ in country wich uses this language as oficial…) I take this chalenge either…
I’m brazilian, and I haven’t seeing nobody talking about PORTUGUESE (I’m brazilian and live in my natural born country)… Do Know any word in my language Marina???
Thank’s once more Marina, and doing his great work!!!!
PS: thank you all folks who replyed me and made a gentle and productive discussion;
special thanks’to hitman who cleared me about Mari’na’s accent…
Since valentines day is coming. How about the word valentine or the the word lascivious. Happy Valentines day to you and may your dreams come true.
My Request A Word for 08FEB10:
“Hippopotomonstrosesequippedaliophobia”
It means “the fear of long words,” ironically, and I’m interested in the story of that one.
the radiostar
Marina,
Zdravstvuite. This is a word request, but first let me say that I love your “show”, your broadcasts, whatever they are called. Great idea, funny, sexy, and you have carried it off very well. Brava!
My word request is the word: “meretricious”. It has several meanings. I always use it in the sense of something that is made to look important, but is really superficial (as in the airport screenings by TSA, for example). How did this word come to be, and how did it come to have such diverse meanings?
BTW, I don’t know if you read it, but if you haven’t seen it already, check out William Safire’s Sunday column, called “On Language”, in the New York Times Magazine section.
If you use this word, my name is pronounced ooh-lers ooh-den.
Spacibo,
Ullrs
how about the word “word”
Hi Marina! I really like your show. ?y grandparents were Hungarian and I want ti know where that word comes from.
Thx, Anne
Who’d of known “muscle” had such an interesting history? I absolutely *never* would’ve guessed the word derived from “mouse”! Thanks for the interesting, new knowledge, Miss Marina - definitely a cool one.
Achilles tendon named after the famous Greek Achilles
Marina,
You have a fantastic and unique way how to transmit knowledge. There are some of us who love etimology, and some others that thanks to you are starting to appreciate it. Where exactly does the name Marina come from? Mar, mare, the sea?
Feliz dia de San Valentin!
Tu Pupilo No.1
she already did this.
youtube link
Marina,
How about doing the word “dapper”? I’d love to know where it came from and would love for you to be the one to tell me. Great job on all that you do.
Deuce
I have an idea, how about the word ‘hot’ how did it go from temperature to attractiveness?
This is a complete guess. The word may refer to the experience of increased body temperature during physical attraction. The hot sensation being felt by the individual experiencing physical attraction to another. This sensation is then attributed to the other individual.
buzzword
I would like to request a word, I know it’s highly informal but I was wondering why you say “Drop-dead”. Like in Drop-dead gorgeous.
Hope you have a pleasant V-day.
Hello Marina,
Once again you look beautiful and your presentation is great, and an interesting one indeed. Although I would agree that to think of a little mouse under a big muscle would give me great pleasure, I have to say that big muscle makes’ small man (Bully boy!) very slow. Number one martial arts master taught me so! Number one teacher I.e. (Marina AKA: Hot For Words) would not have to fear with pupil around.
“Adams Apple” would be the first to come into my mind.
Have a great day, from pupil jcnick.
Hi Marina
I would like to suggest the term lexiphanicism for an upcoming lesson.
Trust me when I say this is not a word I would use to describe you at all. I think a lexaphanic person actually has a level of insecurity so they use this “skill” to feel superior. I don’t think for a minute that you are insecure!!!
Keep teaching us and looking beautiful!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day !!!
Bob (aka hot4marina)
“Fallopian Tube”
Investigate that one Marina, it has a good story just dying to be told.
the radiostar
Named after Gabriele Falloppio an anatomist during the 1500’s. He contributed to the anatomy of the reproductive organs as well as other organs and body systems. The aquaeductus Fallopii is also named for him.
buzzword
Here is an eponym for a body part that shouldn’t offend anyone. Achilles tendon or heel. First used by the Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyen. The myth behind this eponym is so much more interesting than the modern medical term calcaneal tendon.
buzzword
This lesson about muscles and gymbos got me thinking of the word dumbbell (related to weight lifting). What is the origin of dumbbell and what is the relation to the word dumb. Thanks.
Similar to this where does “dumbwaiter” come from is it the use of the prefix of dumb meaning mute, stupid ect.
Hope you can help keep up the good work. Thanks
hi,
I always thought they call it a muscle because a muscle looks like stripped mouse (you know undone from the skin)
ps: i like what you got going here I’m from Belgium and I’m dutch and it really explains the words so i like a good English lesson from a beautiful teacher
I came across this site yesterday and i immediately liked it.
greets
Ahoy, Marina,
If that was a mouse moving under your bicep then I think you have a pair of tortoises under you shirt
Oh dear! Now it’s me that is in trouble
Your devoted student,
Bob
I would like to know-where the word SOULMATE comes from. I think that the bible doesnt say anything about that word. I wish that you have a good Valentines day with someone that you realy love.
Take care and all the best from me: Andrej