Why is it called tool?

“Tool” first appeared in Old English as “tol,” based on the Old Germanic “towlo,” “tow” carrying the sense of “to make or prepare” and the suffix “lo” being “agentive,” in this case meaning “that which does something,” giving us “something that is used to make or prepare something.”

word-detective.com - Blog Archive » Tool - The Word Detective

Do most adults not have friends?

Many Americans do not have a large number of close friends. Close to half (49 percent) of Americans report having three or fewer. More than one-...

Last updated Apr 25, 2020

Is 10,000 views on TikTok good?

Videos that get 10,000+ views mean you have a “head” account. Viewing completion. This is one of the most important factors. Feb 17, 2020

Last updated Mar 30, 2021

Promotion

Tool

It’s a cat’s paw that pries.

Dear Word Detective: What is the origin of the word “tool,” as in “He is such a tool”? — Chris. Well, first things first. Are we certain that the person in question is not, in fact, literally a tool, as one might find in a carpenter’s kit? I seem to recall that former US Representative Tom DeLay spent a good deal of his time trying to get people to call him “The Hammer,” supposedly in reference to his ruthless enforcement of party discipline in passing legislation. I always wondered whether that nickname was really more of an attempt to compensate for the fact that his name was, after all, “delay.” When I went to check up on whatever happened to The Hammer, I found that he had been convicted (nailed?) for money laundering by federal prosecutors (who probably just wanted to steal that cool nickname). He’s appealing his conviction, so his three-year prison sentence has been, sigh, delayed. By the way, my new nickname is The Laser WordShark. In its most basic literal sense, a “tool” is an implement used to perform work, such as a hammer, a machine (such as a lathe), or, more broadly and figuratively, something (or someone) that is used to accomplish a task, whether it’s a piano used to play a concerto or a lobbyist employed to draft legislation. Since the use of tools has long been viewed as one of the most singular characteristics of homo sapiens (although other animals, including crows, have lately been observed subversively making and using tools), it’s not surprising that “tool” is itself a very old word. “Tool” first appeared in Old English as “tol,” based on the Old Germanic “towlo,” “tow” carrying the sense of “to make or prepare” and the suffix “lo” being “agentive,” in this case meaning “that which does something,” giving us “something that is used to make or prepare something.” Not surprisingly for a word so old, “tool” has acquired an impressive range of figurative uses. One of the oldest slang uses has been use of the term to mean various bodily organs, particularly what the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) calls, with awesome tact, “the male generative organ.” Moving right along, “tool” has also been used, at least since the 17th century, to mean “a person used by another for his own ends; one who is, or allows himself to be, made a mere instrument for some purpose” (OED), or what was called, in a more literate age, “a cat’s paw.” (As I explained a few years back, an ancient fable tells the story of a monkey who came upon some chestnuts roasting in a fire. Lacking the means to retrieve the tasty chestnuts from the fire, the clever monkey managed to convince a somewhat dim cat to reach into the flames with his paw and fetch them. The monkey got the chestnuts, the cat was rewarded with a nasty hotfoot, and a metaphor for “useful chump” was born.) This use of “tool” to mean “dupe” or “errand boy” dates back to the mid-17th century. At about the same time “tool” was also being used as slang to mean “an unskilled worker or shiftless person,” one who was fated to be exploited by employers. This use also implied that the “tool” was, in fact, a fool, an easily misled person (“This gained the poor Tool intirely, and he was ready from that time to receive any Impression,” 1747), good only for causing trouble to others (“Tricked, fooled, like a child! and through means of this treacherous, drunken tool,” Bret Harte, 1876).

How can I live without 1k followers?

How to go live on TikTok without 1,000 fans To file this report, go to your profile and select the hamburger menu in the top right corner. Go to...

Last updated Nov 28, 2022

How can I run without being tired?

Don't start running at too high a speed, but start at a slow pace, increasing it little by little; Go to the toilet before running; Each week...

Last updated Feb 5, 2021

Promotion

The current use of “tool” as slang combines the “cat’s paw” and “stupid” senses of “tool” described above to produce something close to “deluded and self-important idiot” in meaning. It seems to be gradually losing that “cat’s paw” sense, and lately I’ve seen it being used to mean simply “arrogant fool.” But I’m probably drawing distinctions where none are needed. If you’ve ever had your boss helpfully remind you about the proper method of stapling the covers on your TPS reports, you know what a “tool” is.

word-detective.com - Blog Archive » Tool - The Word Detective

How much does an influencer with 400k followers make?

Nano influencers (1000 - 10,000 followers): $10 - $100 per post. Micro influencers (10,000 - 50,000 followers): $100 - $500 per post. Mid-tier...

Last updated Sep 20, 2020

Is 2 miles far to run?

It's the perfect amount of running to keep you going every day without getting burned out. That's why so many people swear by running 2 miles a...

Last updated Apr 10, 2019

Promotion

What you should not do during interview?

15 Things You Should NOT Do at an Interview Not Doing Your Research. ... Turning Up Late. ... Dressing Inappropriately. ... Fidgeting With...

Last updated Aug 23, 2022

Promotion

Why is social media good for communication?

Social media not only allows you to hear what people say about you, but enables you to respond. Listen first, speak second. Be compelling, useful,...

Last updated Dec 12, 2019