The Logophile’s Lunchbox gets a little twisted this week as we discuss ropes, chains, and knotted hair.
If you’ve ever woken up with hair so tangled it seems like it was knotted by malicious elves, you’ll understand the origin of the 16th Century word elflock.
When your rope has a little twist in it, that’s a kinkle. The adjectival form is kinkly.
American moviegoers are probably familiar with Twizzlers, bright red cherry-flavored ropes of plasticized sugar twisted into spirals. The word twizzle originated in the 18th Century as a synonym for “twist”.
Did this week’s Lunchbox satisfy your taste for kinky wordplay? Leave a note in the comments below!
