Questions about the English Language

Been thinking about some common English words, and how they got their meanings, and am going to share my take on 'em, whether you like it or not. (I'm feeling ornery this evening...)

Let's take the word "babysitting", for example.

A couple of hundred years ago or so, someone apparantly asked a neighbor to watch their children while they milked their cows...and the neighbor inadvertantly sat on one of the children? That would explain a lot...

Imagine the neighbor bragging to his friends:

(neighbor) "I got paid a nickel and all I had to do was sit on a baby! Wow! You should try this!"

(friend) "So you babysat, eh? How was it?"

(neighbor) "Sort of squishy, but look at this nickel!"

More sarcasm later - same brat time, same brat channel...

SQUISH!