Word for the Wise : Secretariat
March 10th, 2010
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Author: When you hear the word secretariat you probably think of important government officials or key United Nations administrators. The offices of any secretary (such as the Secretary of the Treasury) can also be called a secretariat, as can the secretarial or clerical staff of an organization.
All these senses are true to the history of the word secretariat, which (since the days of Medieval Latin) has meant basically "secretary" or "confidante." But official officers and efficient clerical staff aren’t what we had in mind when we introduced the subject of secretariat.
Instead, we were remembering the very distinctive equine Secretariat who made history on June 9, 1973 by becoming the first horse in twenty five years to win the coveted Triple Crown. That particular Secretariat certainly
All these senses are true to the history of the word secretariat, which (since the days of Medieval Latin) has meant basically "secretary" or "confidante." But official officers and efficient clerical staff aren’t what we had in mind when we introduced the subject of secretariat.
Instead, we were remembering the very distinctive equine Secretariat who made history on June 9, 1973 by becoming the first horse in twenty five years to win the coveted Triple Crown. That particular Secretariat certainly
ruled the racetrack that year, and although his wins were efficient and official, he certainly wasn’t government issue.
Of course, in horse racing, the term Triple Crown is an unofficial title a horse can attain by winning three of the sport’s premier races, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. But did you know that humans can also gain a Triple Crown? Actually, only baseball players can do it, and to earn that title, a player must lead the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Need an example? Think Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski.
Race to your computer and write to us. Our e-mail address is wftw@aol.com. Our street address is Word for the Wise, 318 Central Avenue, Albany, New York 12206.
Special thanks today to Kara Noble. Production and research support for Word for the Wise comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and CD's including Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition.
Of course, in horse racing, the term Triple Crown is an unofficial title a horse can attain by winning three of the sport’s premier races, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. But did you know that humans can also gain a Triple Crown? Actually, only baseball players can do it, and to earn that title, a player must lead the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Need an example? Think Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski.
Race to your computer and write to us. Our e-mail address is wftw@aol.com. Our street address is Word for the Wise, 318 Central Avenue, Albany, New York 12206.
Special thanks today to Kara Noble. Production and research support for Word for the Wise comes from Merriam-Webster, publisher of language reference books and CD's including Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition.
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Tags: clerical staff of an organization, meant basically, Secretariat, the secretarial, Word For The Wise