"motherless calf in a herd," 1887, cowboy slang, of uncertain origin. It may have had an earlier, more specific meaning:
What is called a "dogie" is a scrub Texas yearling. Dogies are the tailings of a mixed herd of cattle which have failed of a ready sale while on the market. They are picked up finally by purchasers in search of cheap cattle; but investments in such stock are risky and have proven to be disastrous this winter. [The Breeder's Gazette, March 5, 1885]
"to remove impediments to the movement or progress of, accelerate the motion or progress of, hasten, quicken," 1610s, from Latin expeditus, past participle of expedire "extricate, disengage, liberate; procure, make ready, put in order, make fit, prepare; explain, make clear," literally "free the feet from fetters," hence to liberate from difficulties, from ex "out" (see ex-) + *pedis "fetter, chain for the feet," related to pes (genitive pedis) "foot" (from PIE root *ped- "foot"). Compare Greek pede "fetter." Related: Expedited; expediting.
"abound, swarm, be prolific," Old English teman (Mercian), tieman (West Saxon) "beget, give birth to, bring forth, produce, propagate," from Proto-Germanic *tau(h)mjan (denominative), from PIE root *deuk- "to lead." Related to team (n.) in its now-obsolete Old English sense of "family, brood of young animals." The meaning "abound, swarm" is first recorded 1590s, on the notion of "be full of as if ready to give birth." Related: Teemed; teeming.
fem. personal name, biblical daughter of Job, from Hebrew Yemimah, literally "dove" (compare Arabic yamama). The Aunt Jemima ready-mix food product in U.S. was advertised from c. 1918; the name (and image) was on baking powder advertisements by 1896. It is the title of a minstrel song credited to Joe Lang, but this is not mentioned before 1901. Previously Aunt Jemima was a name in various works of fiction and poetry, without racial aspect.
late 15c., "addicted to novelty," literally "ready to grasp at all new things," from adjective newefangel "fond of novelty" (mid-13c., neufangel), from new + -fangel "inclined to take," from Proto-Germanic *fanglon "to grasp," from nasalized form of PIE root *pag- "to fasten" (compare fang). Sense of "lately come into fashion" is recorded from 1530s. Fanglement "act of fashioning; something made" is from 1660s; neue-fangelnesse "fondness for novelty" is from late 14c. Middle English had gar-fangel "fish-spear."
"the first five books of the Bible," those traditionally ascribed to Moses, c. 1400, Penta-teuke, from Late Latin pentateuchus (Tertullian, c. 207), from Greek pentateukhos (c. 160), originally an adjective (abstracted from phrase pentateukhos biblos), from pente "five" (from PIE root *penkwe- "five") + teukhos "implement, vessel, gear" (in Late Greek "book," via notion of "case for scrolls"), literally "anything produced," related to teukhein "to make ready," from PIE *dheugh- "to produce something of utility" (see doughty). Glossed in Old English as fifbec. Related: Pentateuchal.
late 14c., "to decide, resolve; to arrange the time of (a meeting, etc.)," from Anglo-French appointer, Old French apointier "make ready, arrange, settle, place" (12c., Modern French appointer), from apointer "duly, fitly," from phrase à point "to the point," from a- "to" (see ad-) + point "point," from Latin punctum "small hole made by pricking" (from nasalized form of PIE root *peuk- "to prick").
The etymological sense is "to come to a point" (about some matter), therefore "agree, settle." The meaning "put in charge, authoritatively nominate or assign" is early 15c. Related: Appointed; appointing.
late 14c., "thin slab or plank fixed horizontally to a wall or frame and used for supporting small objects; a transverse board in a case or cabinet," perhaps from Middle Low German schelf "shelf, set of shelves," or perhaps from Old English cognate scylfe, which could have meant "shelf, ledge, floor, deck of a ship" (the sense is uncertain), and scylf "peak, pinnacle."
These all are from Proto-Germanic *skelf- "split," possibly from the notion of a split piece of wood (compare Old Norse skjölf "bench"), from an extended form of the PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut," and thus distantly related to shell, etc.
From mid-15c. as "grassy bank." The meaning "ledge of rock" (as in later continental shelf) is from 1809, perhaps from or influenced by shelf (n.2).
By 1920s in reference to the display of goods in a shop, hence shelf life "time goods may be kept or stored unsold before they begin to spoil" (1927). The figurative phrase on the shelf "out of the way, inactive" is attested from 1570s (also used 19c. of unmarried women with no prospects). Off the shelf "ready-made, from a supply of ready-made goods" is from 1936. Related: Shelves.
"instrument consisting of a broad scoop or curved blade with a handle," Middle English shovel, from Old English scofl, sceofol "shovel," from Proto-Germanic *skublo (source also of Old Saxon skufla, Swedish skovel, Middle Low German schufle, Middle Dutch shuffel, Dutch schoffel, Old High German scuvala, German Schaufel). The Old English noun is related to scufan "push away, thrust, push with violence" (see shove (v.)). Shovel-ready, with reference to construction projects, is attested by 2006.
late 14c., "advantageous, fit, proper to a purpose," from Old French expedient "useful, beneficial" (14c.) or directly from Latin expedientem (nominative expediens) "beneficial," present participle of expedire "make fit or ready, prepare" (see expedite). The noun meaning "a device adopted in an exigency, that which serves to advance a desired result" is from 1650s. Related: Expediential; expedientially (both 19c.).
Expedient, contrivance, and device indicate artificial means of escape from difficulty or embarrassment; resource indicates natural means or something possessed; resort and shift may indicate either. [Century Dictionary]
