Word Origins

 

*TENDERFOOT

First used in the literal sense of "having tender feet" as it applied to horses, and recorded in this sense in the late seventeenth century in England as the adjective tenderfooted. The use of the word as applied to a person is conceded to be an Americanism and probably arose also in the literal sense, referring to one who, unused to traveling, became footsore. However, the earliest recorded use of the word is not in this literal meaning, but in the figurative one of "a greenhorn, a novice." This meaning has been dated to as early as 1849 and was popularized by the emigrants to California in the gold rush of that time.

Above, Joe E. Brown starred in the 1932 comedy, The Tenderfoot, with leading lady Ginger Rogers.

*Inspired by Charles Funk (1881–1957)

Word Origins

 

*CUBBYHOLE

One might suppose that this had developed from the hole or den in which a young bear or fox may be found, but no. In rural parts of England, one may still find places where cub means the shed or pen or stall for cattle, or the coop for chickens, or the hutch for rabbits, or even a monk’s cell. It is a term for any small shelter. The truncated version, used chiefly by children referring to any small retreat of their own, is cubby, frequently extended to cubbyhole.

*Inspired by Charles Funk (1881–1957)

Where Rust Doth Not Corrupt

 

On this date in 1913, a relative newcomer to the materials science world, stainless steel, was invented by Harry Brearley of Sheffield, England. Brearley stumbled upon this discovery while trying to solve the problem of erosion of the internal surfaces of gun barrels for the British army during the onset of the First World War. The secret to the success of stainless steel is its incredible physical and chemical properties. Stainless steel has high corrosion resistance, heat resistance up to 2,192°F, formability and weldability, durability, and rustproof. It is also inexpensive compared to specialist, non-corrosive alloys. Between the years 1919 and 1923, the use of stainless steel was adapted to manufacture surgical scalpels, tools, and cutlery in Sheffield. In the 1930s, the first stainless steel train was built in the USA and by 1935, stainless steel kitchen sinks were widely used. In the 1980s, stainless steel was used to build the longest movable flood barrier in the world on the river Thames.

A Beetle Not Made By Volkswagen

American Cyanamid Company began as a fertilizer company in 1907 by Frank Washburn, a Cornell-educated civil engineer. The company's name is derived from the fertilizer chemical calcium cyanamide. When William Bell became president of American Cyanamid in 1922, he was pushing the need to diversify. Among many other common products, American Cyanamid eventually made products as diverse as Pine Sol cleaner, Old Spice cologne and after-shave lotion, and Breck shampoo. American Cyanamid merged with American Home Products in 1994.

One of Cyanamid's trademarks was plastic kitchenware, a popular product in the 1950s and 1960s. Called Melmac—not to be confused with the home planet of ALF, the furry alien from the television sitcom—it was a hard plastic dinnerware made with melamine and formaldehyde, known for its durability and vibrant colors. They also produced and trademarked "Beetle," a urea formaldehyde resin. The urea formaldehyde powder had technically originated around 1925 in Great Britain, referred to as Beetleware and noted for its colorful speckled dishware. An Ohio businessman, traveling in England, convinced American Cyanamid to start the licensing and import the formula to the United States. Beetle plastics, thinner than the later Melmac, were a subset of Plaskon Plastics where their products often overlapped. First marketed in 1928, Beetle was popular for its pastel colors and versatility into tableware, dishes, handles, ornaments, and onyx (mottled or marbled) radio cabinets.

Note: All of the resin-molded plastics used during the first half of the twentieth century were simply tradenames from different manufacturers. Catalin was another. The Bakelite Corporation had popular products of its own and was considered the most durable. Similar to Catalin, Bakelite plastic was also used in radio cabinets (in shades from reddish-brown to black), clocks, jewelry, and the classic black telephone case. The advertisement above is from 1945.