english
/ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/noun
Rotary spin imparted to a ball; figurative interpretive slant
From English english (Spinning or rotary motion given to a ball).
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Modern English
english — Rotary spin imparted to a ball; figurative interpretive slant
The story
In billiards, bowling, or pool, english is the spin put on a ball; figuratively, it can mean an unexpected slant on an idea. Its origin is uncertain. One speculation connects the term with people from England introducing the technique in the United States; another suggests it came from a person surnamed English. Neither explanation is established. The figurative sense is recorded in 1988 in Dr. Dre’s “Express Yourself” and in Thomas Cripps’s 1993 book Making Movies Black.
Words from the same roots
english · English, ‘Spinning or rotary motion given to a ball; later, an interpretive slant’
Derivedspin, sidespin, body English
Sources
- Wiktionaryenglish