Word of the Week: November 20, 2000 & November 27, 2000
Foolish Follies and Follicles

English fool is from Latin follis ("bag"). So how did a bag get be a fool? Well, we speak of people who are "windbags," "empty-headed," or "full of hot air," and so did those people who spoke Late Latin. They used follis as a word for a fool. So did the French, from whom we took the word. And follicles are "little bags," since they come from follis + -culus ("little").

So all follicles are inherently foolish, and people who think they are wearing "baggy" pants are really wearing "foolish" pants.

Words of the Week are written by Dr. Jacques A. Bailly.