Key
Mike from Cadillac, Les
from Petoskey, and Scott from Traverse City all touched on a similar element in
last Tuesday’s show. That element is the word key, and the variations that can be worked on it.
There are two words
spelled k-e-y, and they come from different sources. The first one is indebted
to an old Frisian word that meant the kind of key used to manipulate a lock. A
key is a source of control; it implies the power to guide and to influence.
That extension led to later meanings of the word key, such as the key to a
solution, a key player, a key to a map, a key move in a business takeover, a
keyboard on a musical instrument, the keystone of an arch, a typewriter or
computer key, and a keynote speaker. (Pennsylvania was dubbed the Keystone
State as an analogy to the keystone in an arch.)
The other one comes from
the Spanish cayo, a reef or a
shoal. It’s the name given to a low island, sandbank, or reef. It accounts for
Key West and for key lime pie, made with limes native to the Florida Keys.
Someone also asked about
the Keystone Cops, a highlight of the silent film era. That had an independent
origin. These bumbling policemen appeared in films produced by Mack Sennet. His
studio was called the Keystone Film Company.
Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts
Dictionary, 2nd edition
Now available as an ebook
Now available as an ebook
Check out Mike's program-based books here:
Listen to Mike’s program
in real time every Tuesday morning, 9:10 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to
wtcmradio.com and clicking on Listen Now. You’ll also find about a month’s worth of podcasts there under The
Ron Jolly Show.
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