Yesterday marked International Day of Friendship and to celebrate we’ve picked companion for this week’s Word for Wednesday. Friendship days are marked all over the world. Loved ones are honoured with gifts, cards, and friendship bracelets. In 2011, the UN General Assembly declared July 30 as International Day of Friendship with ‘the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.’ So why have we chosen the word companion and not friend as this week’s word? Honestly – because we think it has a more interesting origin. The word dates back to aroun...
In a rush? Not sure what to have for lunch? You probably can’t go too wrong with a sandwich. We get the word for this convenient lunchtime staple from John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Said to be a keen gambler, the Earl of Sandwich supposedly ate slices of cold meat between bread at the gaming table instead of full meals. It's speculated that this was so that he didn’t have to stop to eat and so that that he didn’t get his playing cards dirty from the greasy meat. His friends then began ordering ‘the same as sandwich’ and from there the story of the sandwich as we know it now evolved. The word date backs to 1762 and the account ...
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