The Hot Word

The Hot Word

The above link connects to The Hot Word blog which posted the following article (see block quote) in celebration of 2011. As I can imagine I AM very excited about the article because 2011 is simply my year...see my classic usernames and nom de plumes based on the 11/ALEVAN connection! The article does have great information and is a good place to start researching the word eleven's etymology. However, there is a bit of a problem with their argument when they hit the first sentence of the third paragraph, 'This literal sense..." followed by an expression based on a 12 hour work day whereas the previous paragraph was about the word eleven resulting from the base 10 number system. When I read the comments I found other readers to be confounded as well, so I'm not JUST tired and picky. In any case, good and interesting information to start the year of 11/ALEVAN. 11! ALEVANS!

What is the literal meaning of “eleven,” and what does it say about this new year?

January 4, 2011

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The new year gives us the opportunity to explore the number eleven. What does it mean? And what unusual words and expressions incorporate eleven?

The word derives from the Old English endleofan, which means “one left,” as in “one left over ten.”

This literal sense is found in the colloquial expression “the eleventh hour,” which is used to talk about doing something at the last possible moment. For example, “In the eleventh hour, Sophie switched the caterer and invited ten more people to the wedding.”

It’s believed that the expression originally referenced the bible, Matthew 20:1-16. In the parable, laborers were hired at the eleventh hour of a twelve-hour workday. But they received the same wage as workers who began during the first hour.

Is there really a word for a snack eaten at 11 in the morning? In fact, there is. In England, the term “elevenses” refers to a mid-morning snack, such as biscuits with a cup of tea. The Spanish term las onces, “the elevens,” also refers to a refreshment taken around 11.

The word “elevenses” was used in America as well. It referred to the now abandoned custom of a pre-noon whiskey break.