Mar 11, 2012 · If OP doesn't want to trust Wiktionary, OED gives widdershins, withershins 2: In a direction contrary to the apparent course of the sun (considered as unlucky or causing disaster). And …

Before there were clocks, what did people say to describe the clockwise and anti/counter-clockwise directions? Whilst we're on the subject, when was the word "clockwise" first used?

Aug 4, 2017 · According to Wikipedia, the word deasil, which is a synonym for clockwise, derives from Latin "dexter" (which means "right"). But this does not explain the association between linear and …

Consider a word of about the same age - deasil. How would you pronounce it? It happens to rhyme with teazle. As @tchrist pointed out, strict spelling of every word is quite modern -- not more than 400 …

Oct 7, 2016 · deasil | deiseal, adv. and n. .... Righthandwise, towards the right; motion with continuous turning to the right, as in going round an object with the right hand towards it, or in the same direction …

Apr 6, 2014 · Looking up the etymology of the Devil's nickname, Old Nick, I came across this article in OUPblog written by Anatoly Liberman. For some reason, devils, at least in English, are often called …

Nov 14, 2015 · Before there were round clocks the opposite direction (now "counterclockwise") was more prominent. The word for that direction was widdershins. The counterpart of "clockwise" is …

When you circle something clockwise or deasil, your right side is towards the thing in question; and the mnemonic for right-hand screw-threads is "righty tighty, lefty loosey."

It is pretty clear that the “-spective” suffix indicates “looking” and the “-active” suffix indicates “doing”. The OED gives both adjectives as explanations for each other in some contexts, but not all. I would …

Jun 5, 2020 · I see, I think. You want to know when to use past tense in indirect speech when talking about something that's still true. It's just a construction, like I wish I was when you really mean you …