Assignment: Words


Polonius: What do you read, my lord?

Hamlet: Words, words, words.

— "Hamlet," Act II, Scene II

Research the etymology and usage of one of the words below. Relate how the word entered the English language, its commonly accepted meaning and any issues that an editor should take into consideration when printing it, considering especially offensiveness, bias and reader comprehension. Look for quotations from books, films, music and recent journalism that would elucidate and write a sample sentence. (Click here for a sample essay.)

apartheid
assassin
banshee
beatnik
blitzkrieg
Cackalacka
checkmate
copacetic
Cossack
golem
guerrilla
high muck-a-muck
kahuna
kamikaze
mojo
mulatto
nirvana
okay
pogrom
propaganda
smorgasbord
squaw
tycoon
Yankee

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