Language Arts: Author Tracks Down Word Origins

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Ever wonder why the lower element of a stripper's attire is called a G-string?

It's not because of a G-string on a violin, explains Bill Bryson, a sort of linguistic evolutionist. "The term `geestring' was originally adapted from a much longer Indian word for the leather thong used to hold up a loincloth," he said.

An Iowa expatriate who lives in England, Bryson is the author of "Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States." Published last month by William Morrow and Co., the 417-page book examines American history and culture through its unique words.

For example, the archetypal American term is "OK," Bryson contends. …