Etymology

By Anonymous - 30/06/2016 21:11 - United States - Houston

Today, my sister asked me, while making a cup of green tea with honey, "I wonder why they call it honey?" I replied, "Probably some Greek or Latin word meaning 'to sweeten'." She stopped, turned and with a serious face asked, "Where exactly is Latin?" FML
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Same thing different taste

And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like…

By Anonymous - 23/04/2023 12:00 - Austria - Graz

Today, at my mum’s birthday dinner, my brother-in-law used a Latin phrase in the wrong way. Since we all have learned Latin, I taught him the correct way until everyone facepalmed in my direction. He made a rather nice wordplay and now I’m known as the educated idiot who is too stupid to understand a simple joke. FML
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Top comments

For the record, it actually came from an Old Germanic word meaning "golden yellow". The more you know.

Her age could really factor into this. A 7 year saying that would't be that weird, but if your sister is 20 or so, there are some issues.

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Her age could really factor into this. A 7 year saying that would't be that weird, but if your sister is 20 or so, there are some issues.

Depending on the parent #6, 7 could possibly be old enough to be *allowed* to make herbal tea

I think she was older considering she was making her own tea and it wouldn't be an FML otherwise.

For the record, it actually came from an Old Germanic word meaning "golden yellow". The more you know.

So you could refer to pee as honey? ?

More facts! Very roughly - the Old Germanic word 'hoenig' probably came from a Proto-Indo-European word that also meant yellow, and has cousins in Welsh ('canecon', gold) and Sanskrit (can't remember). The word 'mead', the drink made from honey, comes from the Proto-Indo-European *medhu. Honey is miel in French, mil in Irish, mel in Welsh, similar in many others. Languages are so cool.

species4872 19

Not strictly true. It depends on how often one urinates as opposed to fluid intake. the less you urinate, the more concentrated it becomes.

I was going to say that ! English is a Germanic language, not a Latin one, in a language that has Latin roots, for example French, we say "miel", which comes from "Mel" in Latin, which itself originated from the common indo-European and Ancient Greek

It's between proto-Indoeuropean and Esperanto.

Ricky Gervais on Twitter: "When you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It's only painful & difficult for others. The same applies when you are stupid."

bebesue_liz 14

"Latin" is not, and has never been, a country. It's a language. A geography lesson is unnecessary.

zyperman43 19

Lasted for 57 years? Pretty crappy excuse for an empire.

#18, that was a nickname, if you will, it was the Empire of Romania.

A geography may not be the subject were it is talked about in a great deal, but it does come up.

man_in_black08 28

Ah, right. Of course. All dumb women are blondes. When I have a stupid moment or a brain fart, it must be the recessive blonde genes in me acting up.

Can't fix that sort of stupid, not even with duct tape.

OP should try, though. I'd love to read that in a follow-up.

Maybe she got it confused with Latin America

Wasn't it Dan Quayle who said he wished he'd learned Latin in school so that he could speak to the "Latin Americans". And he was vice-president.

That was a joke about Dan Quayle, made by a Congressman after a meeting with the VP. Quayle never actually said that exact stupid thing.

I feel like this is likely the answer to why she thought this. That and people being called "Latino/Latina". It makes sense.

The only reply I'd have for her is, "In a book. You should open one sometime."

InMiddleSchool 3

Latin is a region in ancient Italy, right above the river, and subsequently above Rome. So, she is not wrong, but I don't think she meant that.

I think it is called Latium, home of the Latins.

you googled that. it's INCORRECT they're only referencing to the Vatican which has Latin as an official language. it's NOT a region!

species4872 19

Arguing whether Latin is a country or not?? Are you people serious??