Parlous is both a synonym and a derivative of perilous; it came to be as an alteration of perilous in Middle English. (Perilous is derived from the Anglo-French perilleus, which ultimately comes from

For almost two centuries, kibosh has taxed the ingenuity of etymologists. It was prominent enough in lower-class London speech to attract the attention of Charles Dickens, who used it in 1836 in an

When liminal first appeared in written use, it referred to something (such as a physical stimulus) which was just barely perceptible, or just barely capable of eliciting a response. This meaning is