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jongleur (n.)"wandering minstrel of medieval times," 1779, a revival in a technical sense (by modern historians and novelists) of Norman-French jongleur, a variant of Old French jogleor "minstrel, itinerant player; joker, juggler, clown" (12c.), from Latin ioculator "jester, joker" (see juggler).
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key (adj.)"crucially important," 1913, from key (n.1). Perhaps from or reinforced by key move, in chess, "first move in a solution to a set problem" (1827), which to an experienced player opens the way to see how the solution will develop.
Related entries & more Hooverville 1933, American English, from U.S. president Herbert C. Hoover (1874-1964), who was in office when the Depression began, + common place-name ending -ville. Earlier his name was the basis of Hooverize "economize on food" (1917) from his role as wartime head of the U.S. Food Administration.
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down (v.)
Related entries & more 1560s, "cause to go down," from down (adv.). Meaning "swallow hastily" is by 1860; football sense of "bring down (an opposing player) by tackling" is attested by 1887. Figurative sense of "defeat, get the better of" is by 1898. Related: Downed; downing.
ante (n.)in the game of poker, "stake of money placed in a pool by each player before drawing cards," 1838, American English poker slang, apparently from Latin ante "before" (from PIE root *ant- "front, forehead," with derivatives meaning "in front of, before"). From 1846 as a verb.
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Related entries & more also potzer, "an incompetent chess player," especially one who doesn't know he is, by 1948, of uncertain origin. OED points to German patzen "to bungle," but notes that, though the form looks Yiddish, there doesn't seem to be such a word in Yiddish.
round robin (n.)"petition or complaint signed in a circle to disguise the order in which names were affixed and prevent ringleaders from being identified," 1730, originally in reference to sailors and frequently identified as a nautical term. As a kind of tournament in which each player plays the others, it is recorded from 1895.
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