New book reveals words and phrases and the origins of their meanings

London, Nov 25 : A new book written by Alex Games has phrases and words that are being used now in the modern age in a different context all together from when they had been originally formed.

Some of the words had originated from countries other than ones that they are used in, and some have been changed to suit the dialect of the region, reports the Sun.

Starting off the list of words was 'Balti', which in modern day is a type of curry popular in Birmingham, and named after the pot in which it is cooked. Its origin is from the Portuguese word 'balde', meaning bucket or pail.

Next was 'Bonking', a word, which was first used around 1975, to describe sex. Before that it had been used to describe a hit to the head. A familiar term, 'Basket case', was first used in 1944 in the US military hospitals to describe soldiers who had no arms or legs, but nowadays the phrase is used to describe someone who is a bit mad.

Another phrase, which became famous for describing a death, was 'Kicking the bucket'. The word had originated in Norfolk where the beam from which a pig is suspended after it has been slaughtered is called a bucket.

According to a theory, as the pig was hung from the beam it would often kick it in its death spasms.

A word that is commonly used with food is 'Ketchup' and it had its origins from China, where in the Chinese dialect it is called as "koechiap" meaning "the brine of pickled fish or shellfish" used in the sauce.

The Malay then changed the word to 'kechap' and when the Dutch arrived in China, they found the sauce, tasted it, bought the company and spelled it 'ketjap'. These are some of the words and phrases that have been taken from the book 'Kick The Bucket And Swing The Cat: English Words And Phrases, And Their Curious Origins', by Alex Games priced at 9.99 pounds.

ANI