Words Too Easily Confused, Set Six Quiz

Answer: Court martial

"I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence." ~Thomas Hardy, British Novelist and Poet (1840-1928).

The compound noun "court martial" has been used to refer to the entity called into being by a military commanding officer since the 1650s. Its use as a verb, to describe what is done to the accused by such an entity, appears much later in 1859.

Answer: Courteous

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence." ~ George Washington (1732-1799).

The English adjective "courteous" derives from the Old French where it meant, literally, to have manners fit for the royal court. Modernly it has come to mean polite, gracious, chivalrous, considerate, and well-mannered.

Answer: Courting

"Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh
Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh
Froggy went a-courtin' and he did ride
A sword and pistol by his side, uh- huh, uh-huh, uh-huh"
~Scots-English folk song dating from the mid-16th Century.

In addition to many other meanings, courting can mean the pursuit of a woman's affections or to woo. In the same way that a plaintiff goes into court to win a case and a petitioner goes before the king or queen seeking a benefit, the fellow gone courting seeks to win the hand, the favour and the consent of the object of his affections. Thus, in the folk song, Froggy wishes to marry Miss Mousy.

Answer: Court-bouillon

Court bouillon is a cooking stock made from water to which wine or vinegar is commonly added, in which vegetables and herbs are simmered to impart delicate flavor to the broth.

"Having your book turned into a movie is like seeing your oxen turned into a bouillon cube." ~John Le Carre.

The French loan-word "bouillon" derives from the verb "bouillir" which means to boil. When beef, veal, game or poultry are simmered with aromatic vegetables and herbs, a bouillon useful both as a cooking liquid, as a soup, and as the base for a sauce is created. If the bouillon is made with fish, shellfish or vegetables only, it is called "court bouillon." The term "court bouillon" means "short broth" literally in Modern French.

Answer: Forecourt

"In truth, the laboratory is the forecourt of the temple of philosophy." ~Thomas Huxley.

Long before it acquired its precise meaning in describing part of a tennis court, the word "forecourt" served in English to describe a court in front of the a building or several buildings. It was a simple compound noun joining fore (in front of) with court (an open area). It is sometimes used to describe the area in front of a petrol station.

Answer: Courtyard

"She lay outside in the courtyard, staring up at the raindrops ... feeling them hit her body ... trying to guess where one would land next. The nuns called again, threatening that pneumonia might make an insufferably headstrong child a lot less curious about nature." ~Dan Brown, Angels & Demons.

The compound noun "courtyard" dates from the middle 16th Century. There is debate over to which "court" it may refer but it plainly means an area in front of a building or buildings, such as might be used for an assembly. It probably migrated from the Old French to the Middle English.

Answer: Courtesan

"I have seen purer liquors, better segars, finer tobacco, truer guns and pistols, larger dirks and bowie knives, and prettier courtesans here in San Francisco than in any other place I have ever visited; and it is my unbiased opinion that California can and does furnish the best bad things that are available in America." ~Hinton Helper, American Writer (1829-1909).

"Courtesan" was used in 16th Century English as a euphemism for prostitute to the upper and moneyed classes. Compare the Middle French "courtisane" and the Italian "cortigiana."

Answer: Agincourt

Henry V's victory on 25 October 1415 over the numerically superior French proved the effectiveness of the English long bow over armoured knights.

"Agincourt ranks as the most heroic of all the land battles that England has ever fought." ~ Winston Churchill, "History of the English-Speaking Peoples."

The modern commune of Azincourt in Northern France is the site of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. A small town there was named Asincurt in 1175 (meaning farm with a courtyard).

Answer: Courtside seats

Where Jack Nicholson watched L.A. Lakers basketball home games for three decades.

"Don't want the courtside seats
I want my nose to bleed
He's just too fancy for me
He's just too fancy for me."
~Debbie Gibson, "Too Fancy" (1995).

The term courtside, used most often to describe expensive tickets to athletic events, is a modern compound of "court" (referring to the surface on which the game is played) and "side" (referring to the seats' proximity).

Answer: Courtier

"Better to suffer the loneliness of the cold throne room than endure the isolation to be found within the crowds of facile courtiers." ~Stuart Hill, author.

The French-sounding noun "courtier" entered Middle English from an Anglo-French word "corteour" meaning a person who was present at court. The court intended in this context is the royal court, not the judicial nor athletic.