WORD HISTORIES II

Aboveboard

This compound word now meaning "without deceit or trickery" once literally meant "above a board," as above a table - in gambling. If the gambler's hands were above the board, or gaming table, then presumably he could not surreptitiously change his cards or indulge in other forms of cheating. Board still harks back to its original sense of "table" in the expressions room and board (board being a table at which food is served) and board of directors (board being a table where a council is held).

Blue chip

Blue chips in poker are usually the chips with the highest value. It is from this usage that blue chip is applied to highly regarded stocks, or other high-quality products.

Clue

Clue and clew were at one time simply two spelling of the same word with the same meaning - "ball," especially a ball of yarn or thread. The meaning of clue as "guide to a solution" developed from the mythological story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Theseus, a great Athenian hero, had the task of killing the Minotaur, a monster half man and half bull who lived in the Labyrinth, King Minos' maze on the island of Crete. Finding and slaying the Minotaur were no problem, but discovering the way out of the Labyrinth would have been impossible if Ariadne, Minos' daughter, had not provided Theseus with a clew - or ball - of string. Theseus unwound the ball as he entered and wound it up as he returned, thus following a sure path out of the maze. The figurative import of this "clew of thread" or "clew to a maze" has gradually been lost, although "clew" as a ball of yarn is still with us (at least in crossword puzzles). Today, "clue" means "guide to a solution," and its history with a ball of twine is all but lost.

Decide

Decide comes from the Latin word meaning to cut, in the sense of settling a dispute or resolving  a controversy in a single stroke. Also, to make up one's mind by cutting to the essence of a question, or cutting away that which is false to reveal the truth.

Salary

Salary, what we are paid for the services we provide, is based on the Latin word for salt (sal). Salt has always been a basic necessity for seasoning and preserving foods, especially meat. Roman soldiers at one time were given rations of salt as part of their pay, leading to our word salary. Other common salt-based words are salad, sauce, salami, and sausage.