The Words of the Week - Mar. 3

'Holy grail'

Holy grail, a word which entered into English use with a distinctly religious meaning, was used in a decidedly nonreligious manner last week, in reference to the sale of an athlete's used sneakers.

Sotheby's auction house will unveil on Tuesday in Dubai what many sneaker collectors consider to be the holy grail: the "Dynasty Collection," or six Nike Air Jordan sneakers that Michael Jordan, His Airness himself, wore during the six NBA championship games the Chicago Bulls won in the 1990s.
— Jacob Gallagher, The Wall Street Journal, 28 Feb. 2023

In its earliest use Holy Grail referred to "the cup or platter used according to medieval legend by Christ at the Last Supper and thereafter the object of knightly quests." When used in this sense it is capitalized. The extended, nonreligious, sense of the word is defined as "an object or goal that is sought after for its great significance." When holy grail is used in this manner it is often not capitalized.

'Insulin'

Insulin was once again in the news, after a major drug company announced that it would lower the monthly costs of insulin for many people who rely on it.

Eli Lilly to Cut Prices of Insulin Drugs by 70%, Cap Patient Costs at $35
— (headline) The Wall Street Journal, 1 Mar. 2023

Here is a simplified definition for insulin: “a substance that your body makes and uses to turn sugar into energy.” Here is a more technical (and complete) definition: “a protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates, that is obtained commercially in crystalline form usually from beef or pork pancreas, and that is used in the treatment and control of diabetes mellitus.” The word insulin comes from the Latin insula, (meaning “islet, a little island”). This name came about because insulin comes from the islets of Langerhans, clusters of cells which were discovered in the 19th century by a German physician named Paul Langerhans.

'Drag'

The word drag has been spiking in lookups lately, as a number of states appear to be poised to ban many performances that might be characterized by this word.

Tennessee governor appears to have dressed in drag, an art form he wants to restrict - Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, is set to sign a bill limiting where and in front of whom drag performances can take place.
— (headline) NBC News, 27 Feb. 2023

The relevant sense of drag employed here is a noun, one we define as "entertainment in which performers caricature or challenge gender stereotypes (as by dressing in clothing that is stereotypical of another gender, by using exaggeratedly gendered mannerisms, or by combining elements of stereotypically male and female dress) and often wear elaborate or outrageous costumes." The word is often used before another noun, as in drag act, drag show, or drag queen. This sense of the word has been in use for well over a hundred years; there are additional, closely related meanings of drag, including "stereotypically gendered clothing worn by someone who is of a different gender," and "a costume used to impersonate a person or kind of person" (one who is not necessarily of a different gender).

'Separation of church and state'

Separation of church and state was high in lookups last week as well, after the mayor of New York City asserted that this was something he did not much believe in.

Mayor Eric Adams' comments at interfaith breakfast on separation of church and state rankle many
— (headline) CBS News, 28 Feb. 2023

Separation of church and state is a noun phrase, defined in an unsurprising manner as "the act or state of keeping government and religion separate from each other." The idea of a separation between church (meaning organized religion) and state (meaning a governmental body) is for most people tied directly to the First Amendment to the United State Constitution, which reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Words Worth Knowing: 'Mediocrist'

Our word worth knowing this week is mediocrist, defined as "a mediocre person." Now, while it may be true that mediocre may be defined as "ordinary" or "so-so," it is also true that most people will regard this word as distinctly insulting, if you choose to describe them with it. A related word is mediocracy, which is "rule by the mediocre."