Eponyms
Called
Eponyms , many words tell interesting tales about their origins.Wittingly or unwittingly, few people and places have left their names for posterity through words that were coined after them. These words are derived from the names of real, fictional, mythical or spurious persons, places or characters, although many of these Eponyms come from the persons surnames.
Here is The List of Eponyms beginning with S .
Sadism : Noun
The tendency to derive sexual gratification or general pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering or humiliation on others
Frenchman Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) took great delight in torturing his friends and mistresses. In his writings, he described the pleasure a person derived in tormenting someone he loved. These morbid, abnormally cruel tendencies shocked the nation. Today a sadist person is anyone who indulges in this kind of behavior.
Incidentally a Masochist is a person who derives sexual pleasure or gratification from tormenting his own self or being tormented and humiliated by others. And a Sadomasochist is a person who displays both sadistic and masochistic tendencies.
Sandwich : Noun
Two pieces of bread with a filling of food between them
John Montague, fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92) and an English diplomat supposedly rustled up a quick meal in this way.
Sanforised : Adjective
Trademark, (Of cotton or other fabric) pre-shrunk by a controlled comprehensive process
The word originated in the 1930s from the name of the American inventor, Sanford L Cluett.
Saturday : Noun
The day of the week that falls before Sunday and after Friday
This term of a day of the week comes from Saturn, the Roman God of agriculture.
Sidhuism : Noun
Witty speech peppered with uncommon phrases, repartee and the gift of the gab
Derived from ex-Indian opening batsman, Navjot Sigh Sidhu who is making more waves as an eloquent and witty cricket commentator than he ever did as India’s opening batsman
Some examples for Sidhuism of 2004:
1. The room for improvement is the biggest room in the world.
2. The future is a haze and the past is a bucketful of ashes.
Spartan : Noun
Of or relating to Sparta (a city-state in ancient Greece) or its people
Spartan : Adjective
1. Rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained
2. Simple, Frugal or austere
3. Marked by brevity of speech, terse
The Spartan’s were known for their legendary brevity. When Philip of Macedonia (Alexander - the great father) was on the borders of Sparta, legend has it that he sent a terse message: “Friend or foe". The message asked whether the Spartan’s wished to see him as a friend or as a foe. Living up to their legendary reputation for brevity, the Spartans sent a one-word reply: “Neither".
Spoonerism : Noun
This is an error in speech in which the initial letters or sounds of two or more words are accidentally transposed, with humorous results.
The English scholar, Reverend William Archibald (1844-1930) Spooner is well known for this habit of his, which may have been embarrassing for him, but seemed hilarious to listeners.
Example:
You have hissed the mystery lectures instead of you have missed the history lectures.
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