Etymology (Meaning of Words)/Expert Profile


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Expertise

I have an interest in the meanings of words and phrases, as well as how and when they became part of the English language. I enjoy researching idioms, colloquialisms, dialects, and obscurities of all kinds. I prefer short questions on a particular subject, and I will not accept lengthy research projects or term papers. NOTE: ALLEXPERTS CLAIMS THAT I TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN AND FROM LATIN TO ENGLISH. I DO NOT. ALLEXPERTS REFUSES TO DELETE THE LATIN-TO-ENGLISH SERVICE -- ONE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE. TRUST ME ON THIS: ALLEXPERTS IS WRONG. I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LANGUAGE. LOOK FOR A LANGUAGE EXPERT INSTEAD. ETYMOLOGY AND TRANSLATING SERVICES ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. ALLEXPERTS SHOULD KNOW THAT. ALLEXPERTS DOES NOT KNOW THAT. I HAVE TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO GET THEM TO CHANGE. THEY WILL NOT. SORRY, BUT I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN.

Experience in the area

I am the bibliographic instruction and reference librarian at a public
college. My master's thesis concerns William Faulkner's tragic novels. I formerly taught advanced placement English at two schools in the Philadelphia area.
I have been a member of the grammar and writing section of Allexperts
for more than a year.

Education/Credentials

Masters degrees in English, philosophy, and library science.

Average Ratings

Recent Reviews from Users

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    K = Knowledgeability    C = Clarity of Response    T = Timeliness    P = Politeness
UserDateKCTPComments
Gary10/22/0910101010Outstanding expert. Really helpful. Thank You
Gary10/21/0910101010Brilliant expert. Very informative and helpful. Thank .....
Joanie Williams09/26/0910101010THANK YOU Mr. Nesbit. I am so .....
Rob09/24/0910101010Thank-you for taking the time to answer .....
Wendy09/16/0910101010A very clear and concise description of .....

Recent Answers from Ted Nesbitt

2009-10-17 i want to know hte meaning of hte word "oor":

Dear Islam: You cannot find the word, because it doesn't exist. In the sentence you have quoted, there are two missing letters -- the "fl" that should be before "oor." The writer is talking about

2009-10-11 18th century language:

Dear John: I have spent some time searching various dictionaries and thesauri. "The Oxford English Dictionary" [OED] is the "bible" of the eymological field, so I am using its references [which are

2009-09-26 derivation of a word:

Dear Joanie: You promised to reply, so I have spent the last two hours trying to find the information for you. Since you indicate that you are from the U. S., some of the possible definitions and spellings

2009-09-23 meaning of a word:

Rob: I checked numerous geographical dictionaries and atlases, including "The Times Atlas of the World." There were no references to "munkowurlie." I did find that the surname Munko is popular in

2009-09-15 word meaning:

Dear Wendy: "Jeezledy" is a slang expression [considered by many to be in poor taste]. It is an abbreviated version of "Jesus, lady!" Obviously, it is said ONLY to women. "Jeez" [also spelled "geez"]

 

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