- enthusiasm
- c.1600, from M.Fr. enthousiasme, from Gk. enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein "be inspired," from entheos "inspired, possessed by a god," from en- "in" + theos "god" (see Thea). Acquired a derogatory sense of "excessive religious emotion" (1650s) under the Puritans; generalized sense of "fervor, zeal" (the main modern sense) is first recorded 1716.
- hubba-hubba
- U.S. slang cry of excitement or enthusiasm, first recorded 1944.
- enthuse
- 1827, back formation from enthusiasm. Related: enthused.
- enthusiast
- c.1600, pejorative, one who believes himself possessed of divine revelations or special communication from God, from Gk. enthousiastes, from enthousiazein (see enthusiasm). General sense (not always entirely pejorative) is from mid-18c.
- dampen
- c.1630, "to dull or deaden" (of force, enthusiasm, ardor, etc.), from damp. Literal meaning "to moisten" is recorded from 1827. Related: Dampened (c.1630); dampener (1887).
- verve
- 1697, "special talent in writing," from Fr. verve "enthusiasm" (especially pertaining to the arts), in O.Fr. "caprice, odd humor, proverb" (12c.), probably from Gallo-Romance *verva, from L. verba "(whimsical) words," plural of verbum "word" (see verb). Meaning "mental vigor" is first recorded 1803.
- enthusiastic
- c.1600, "pertaining to possession by a deity," from Gk. enthousiastikos, from enthousiazein (see enthusiasm). Meaning "pertaining to irrational delusion in religion" is from 1690s. The main modern sense, in reference to feelings or persons, "intensely eager, rapturous," is from late 18c. Earlier derogatory sense especially seems to have colored modern sense of enthusiast. Related: Enthusiastically.
- two
- O.E. twa, fem. and neut. form of twegen "two" (see twain), from P.Gmc. *twai (cf. O.S., O.Fris. twene, twa, O.N. tveir, tvau, Du. twee, O.H.G. zwene, zwo, Ger. zwei, Goth. twai), from PIE *duwo (cf. Skt. dvau, Avestan dva, Gk. duo, L. duo, O.Welsh dou, Lith. dvi, O.C.S. duva, first element in Hittite ta-ugash "two years old"). Twofold is O.E. tweofeald. Dance style two-step is recorded from 1900. Twofer is first recorded 1911 (originally in ref. to cigars), from two for (a dollar, etc.). Two-faced "deceitful" first recorded 1619. Two cheers for _____, expressing qualified enthusiasm first recorded 1951 in E.M. Forster's title "Two Cheers for Democracy." Two-dimensional is recorded from 1883; fig. sense of "lacking substance or depth" is attested from 1934.
- passion
- late 12c., "sufferings of Christ on the Cross," from O.Fr. passion, from L.L. passionem (nom. passio) "suffering, enduring," from stem of L. pati "to suffer, endure," from PIE base *pei- "to hurt" (cf. Skt. pijati "reviles, scorns," Gk. pema "suffering, misery, woe," O.E. feond "enemy, devil," Goth. faian "to blame"). Sense extended to sufferings of martyrs, and suffering generally, by early 13c.; meaning "strong emotion, desire" is attested from late 14c., from L.L. use of passio to render Gk. pathos. Replaced O.E. žolung (used in glosses to render L. passio), lit. "suffering," from žolian (v.) "to endure." Sense of "sexual love" first attested 1580s; that of "strong liking, enthusiasm, predilection" is from 1630s. The passion-flower so called from 1630s.
"The name passionflower -- flos passionis -- arose from the supposed resemblance of the corona to the crown of thorns, and of the other parts of the flower to the nails, or wounds, while the five sepals and five petals were taken to symbolize the ten apostles -- Peter ... and Judas ... being left out of the reckoning." ["Encyclopedia Brittanica," 1885]
- mad
- O.E. gemędde (pl.) "out of one's mind" (usually implying also violent excitement), also "foolish," earlier gemęded "rendered insane," pp. of a lost verb *gemędan "to make insane or foolish" (related to gemad "mad"), from P.Gmc. *ga-maid-jan, demonstrative form of *ga-maid-az "changed (for the worse), abnormal" (cf. O.S. gimed "foolish," O.H.G. gimeit "foolish, vain, boastful," Goth. gamaižs "crippled, wounded," O.N. meiša "to hurt, maim"), from intensive prefix *ga- + PIE *moito-, pp. of base *mei- "to change" (cf. L. mutare "to change," mutuus "done in exchange," migrare "to change one's place of residence;" see mutable). Emerged in M.E. to replace the more usual O.E. word, wod (see wood (adj.)). Sense of "beside oneself with excitement or enthusiasm" is from early 14c. Meaning "beside oneself with anger" is attested from c.1300, but deplored by Rev. John Witherspoon (1781) as an Americanism, and now competes in Amer.Eng. with angry for this sense. Of dogs, "affected with rabies," from 1800. Phrase mad as a March hare is attested from 1520s, via notion of breeding season; mad as a hatter (1857) is said to be from erratic behavior caused by prolonged exposure to poison mercuric nitrate, used in making felt hats. Mad as a wet hen is from 1823. Mad money is attested from 1922; mad scientist is from 1940.