Online Etymology Dictionary

sambo (n.2): stereotypical name for male black person (now only derogatory), 1818, American English, probably a different word from sambo (n.1); like many such words (Cuffy, Rastus, etc.) a common personal name among U.S. blacks in the slavery days (first attested 1704 in Boston), probably from an African source, such as Foulah sambo "uncle," or a similar Hausa word meaning "second son."

It could be used without conscious racism or contempt until circa World War II. When the word fell from polite usage, collateral casualties included the enormously popular children's book "The Story of Little Black Sambo" (by Helen Bannerman), which is about an East Indian child, and the Sambo's Restaurant chain, a U.S. pancake-specialty joint originally opened in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1957 (the name supposedly from a merging of the names of the founders, Sam Battistone and Newell "Bo" Bohnett, but the chain's decor and advertising leaned heavily on the book), which once counted 1,200 units coast-to-coast. Civil rights agitation against it began in 1970s and the chain collapsed, though the original restaurant still is open. Many of the defunct restaurants were taken over by rival Denny's.
short (adj.): Old English sceort, scort "short, not long, not tall; brief," probably from Proto-Germanic *skurta- (source also of Old Norse skorta "to be short of," skort "shortness;" Old High German scurz "short"), from PIE root *(s)ker- (1) "to cut," with notion of "something cut off" (source also of Sanskrit krdhuh "shortened, maimed, small;" Latin curtus "short," cordus "late-born," originally "stunted in growth;" Old Church Slavonic kratuku, Russian korotkij "short;" Lithuanian skurstu "to be stunted," skardus "steep;" Old Irish cert "small," Middle Irish corr "stunted, dwarfish").

Meaning "having an insufficient quantity" is from 1690s. Meaning "rude" is attested from late 14c. Meaning "easily provoked" is from 1590s; perhaps the notion is of being "not long in tolerating." Short fuse in figurative sense of "quick temper" first attested 1968. To fall short is from archery. Short run "relatively brief period of time" is from 1879. Short story first recorded 1877. To make short work of "dispose of quickly" is first attested 1570s. Phrase short and sweet is from 1530s. To be short by the knees (1733) was to be kneeling; to be short by the head (1540s) was to be beheaded.
sign (n.): early 13c., "gesture or motion of the hand," especially one meant to communicate something, from Old French signe "sign, mark," from Latin signum "identifying mark, token, indication, symbol; proof; military standard, ensign; a signal, an omen; sign in the heavens, constellation," according to Watkins, literally "standard that one follows," from PIE *sekw-no-, from root *sekw- (1) "to follow" (see sequel).

Ousted native token. Meaning "a mark or device having some special importance" is recorded from late 13c.; that of "a miracle" is from c. 1300. Zodiacal sense in English is from mid-14c. Sense of "characteristic device attached to the front of an inn, shop, etc., to distinguish it from others" is first recorded mid-15c. Meaning "token or signal of some condition" (late 13c.) is behind sign of the times (1520s). In some uses, the word probably is a shortening of ensign. Sign language is recorded from 1847; earlier hand-language (1670s).
fourth (adj.): mid-15c., alteration (by influence of four), of ferthe, from Old English feorða "fourth," from Proto-Germanic *fe(d)worthon- (source also of Old Saxon fiortho, Old Norse fiorðe, Dutch vierde, Old High German fiordo, German vierte); see four + -th (1). As a noun from 1590s, both of fractions and in music.

Among the old Quakers, who rejected the pagan weekday names, fourth day was Wednesday, often a secondary day of meeting for worship. Fourth-dimension attested from 1844. The theatrical fourth wall is from 1807. The celebration of the Fourth of July as the epoch of American independence is attested from 1777.
That there is due to Daniel Smith, of the city tavern, for his bill of expences of Congress, on the 4 of July last, including a balance of an old account, the sum of 729 68/90 dollars; also a bill for materials, workmanship, &c furnished for the fire works on the 4 July, the sum of 102 69/90 dollars .... [Auditor General's report, Aug. 8, 1777, "Journals of Congress," vol. VII]
French fries (n.): 1903, American English, earlier French fried potatoes (by 1856); see French (adj.) + fry (v.). Literally "potatoes fried in the French style." The name is from the method of making them by immersion in fat, which was then considered a peculiarity of French cooking.
There are 2 ways of frying known to cooks as (1) wet frying, sometimes called French frying or frying in a kettle of hot fat; and (2) dry frying or cooking in a frying pan. The best results are undoubtedly obtained by the first method, although it is little used in this country. ["The Household Cook Book," Chicago, 1902]
French frieds (1944) never caught on. Simple short form fries attested by 1973. In the Upper Midwest of the U.S., sometimes called, with greater accuracy, American fries (1950), and briefly during a period of mutual ill feeling, an attempt was made at freedom fries (2003; compare liberty-cabbage for sauerkraut during World War I). Related: French-fry.
cheese (n.2): "the proper thing," from Urdu chiz "a thing," from Persian chiz, from Old Persian *ciš-ciy "something," from PIE pronominal stem *kwo- (see who). Picked up by British in India by 1818 and used in the sense of "a big thing" (especially in the phrase the real chiz).

This perhaps is behind the expression big cheese "important person" (1914), but that is American English in origin and likely rather belongs to cheese (n.1). To cut a big cheese as a figurative expression for "look important" is recorded from 1915, and overlarge wheels of cheese, especially from Wisconsin, were commonly displayed 19c. as publicity stunts by retailers, etc.
The cheese will be on exhibition at the National Dairy Show at Chicago next week. President Taft will visit the show the morning of Monday, October thirtieth, and after his address he will be invited to cut the big cheese, which will then be distributed in small lots to visitors at the show. ["The Country Gentleman," Oct. 28, 1911]
lecture (n.): c. 1300, "written works, literature;" late 14c., "learning from books," from Medieval Latin lectura "a reading," from Latin lectus, past participle of legere "to read," originally "to gather, collect, pick out, choose" (compare election), from PIE *leg- (1) "to pick together, gather, collect" (source also of Greek legein "to say, tell, speak, declare," originally, in Homer, "to pick out, select, collect, enumerate;" lexis "speech, diction;" logos "word, speech, thought, account;" Latin lignum "wood, firewood," literally "that which is gathered"). To read is, perhaps, etymologically, to "pick out words."

The sense "a reading aloud, action of reading aloud" (either in divine worship or to students) in English emerged early 15c. That of "a discourse on a given subject before an audience for purposes of instruction" is from 1530s. Meaning "admonitory speech given with a view to reproof or correction" is from c. 1600. Lecture-room is from 1793; lecture-hall from 1832.
bandage (n.): 1590s, from Middle French bandage (16c.), from Old French bander "to bind," from bande "a strip" (see band (n.1)).
bandeau (n.): 1706, from French bandeau, from Old French bandel (12c.), diminutive of bande "band" (see band (n.1)).
cumbersome (adj.): late 14c., from cumber (v.) + -some (1). Meaning "unwieldy, hard to carry" is from 1590s. Related: Cumbersomely; cumbersomeness.
abeam (adv.): "at right angles to the mainmast," 1826, nautical, literally "on beam;" see a- (1) + beam (n.).
magna mater: fertility goddess, 1728, Latin, literally "great mother." See magnate + mother (n.1).
off-key (adj.): 1920, from off (adv.) + musical sense of key (n.1). Figurative sense is from 1943.
unruly (adj.): "disposed to resist lawful restraint," c. 1400, from un- (1) "not" + obsolete ruly (adj.) "amenable to rule." Related: Unruliness.
unconscionable (adj.): 1560s, "showing no regard for conscience," from un- (1) + now rare conscionable "conscientious." Related: Unconscionably.
unconventional (adj.): 1832, from un- (1) "not" + conventional (adj.). "A 19 cent. epithet for a certain type of affectation" [Weekley]. Related: Unconventionally.
unearthly (adj.): 1610s, "heavenly, sublime," from un- (1) "not" + earthly. Sense of "ghostly, weird" first recorded 1802. Related: Unearthliness.
tacky (adj.1): "sticky," 1788, from tack (n.1) in the sense of "an act of attaching temporarily" + -y (2). Related: Tackiness "stickiness."
rag-bag (n.): 1820, from rag (n.1) + bag (n.). Figurative sense of "motley collection" is first recorded 1864.
pagination (n.): "action of marking page numbers," 1841, probably from French pagination (1835), from Latin pagina (see page (n.1)).
indiscriminate (adj.): "not carefully discriminating, done without making distinctions," 1640s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + discriminate (adj.).
inedible (adj.): "unfit to eat," 1774, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + edible. Related: Inedibly; inedibility (1879).
inefficient (adj.): 1748, "not producing or incapable of producing the desired effect," from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + efficient. Related: Inefficiently.
ineligible (adj.): 1763, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + eligible. Perhaps modeled on French inéligible. Related: Ineligibility.
inexpedient (adj.): "not suitable to the purpose or circumstances," c. 1600, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + expedient. Related: Inexpedience; inexpediently.
infra-red (adj.): also infrared, 1873, "below the red" (in the spectrum), from infra- + red (adj.1). As a noun, also from 1873.
incalculable (adj.): 1772, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + calculable "that can be counted" (see calculate). Related: Incalculably; incalculability.
indefinable (adj.): "incapable of being exactly described," 1721, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + definable (see define). Related: Indefinably.
embankment (n.): 1786, from embank "to enclose with a bank" (1570s; see em- (1) + bank (n.2)) + -ment.
emblazon (v.): "inscribe conspicuously," also "extol," 1590s, from assimilated form of en- (1) + blazon. Related: Emblazoned; emblazoning.
barrette (n.): "bar clip for women's hair," 1901, from French barrette, diminutive of barre "bar" (see bar (n.1)).
empanel (v.): late 15c., originally of juries, from Anglo-French empaneller, Old French empaneller; see en- (1) + panel (n.).
aerate (v.): 1794, from Latin aer (genitive aeris; see air (n.1)) + verbal suffix -ate (2). Related: Aerated; aerating.
afire (adj.): c. 1200, afure, from a- "on" (see a- (1)) + fire (n.). Figurative use by late 14c.
afoot (adj.): c. 1200, afote, from a- "on" (see a- (1)) + foot (n.). Figurative sense of "in active operation" is from 1601 ("Julius Caesar").
afresh (adv.): c. 1500, perhaps on analogy of anew [see note in OED], from a- (1) + fresh (adj.).
neural (adj.): "pertaining to a nerve or nerves," 1830, from Greek neuron "nerve" (see neuro-) + adjectival suffix -al (1). Related: Neurally.
redware (n.): also red ware, type of pottery, 1690s, from red (adj.1) + ware (n.).
parhelion (n.): 1640s, from Greek parelion "a mock sun," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + helios "sun" (see sol).
Parnellite (n.): in Irish history, 1881, adherent of the Irish Home Rule policy of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) + -ite (1).
aglow (adj.): 1817 (in Coleridge), from a- (1) + glow. Figurative sense of "flushed with pleasurable excitement" is from 1830.
aground (adv.): late 13c., "on the ground," from a- "on" (see a- (1)) + ground (n.). Of ships and boats, "stranded," from c. 1500.
encase (v.): 1630s, from en- (1) "make, put in" + case (n.2). Related: Encased; encasing.
encircle (v.): c. 1400, from en- (1) "make, put in" + circle (n.). Related: Encircled; encircling.
encompass (v.): 1550s, from en- (1) "make, put in" + compass (n.). Related: Encompassed; encompasses; encompassing.
endanger (v.): late 15c., from en- (1) "make, put in" + danger. Related: Endangered; endangering. Endangered species recorded by 1958.
enfold (v.): also infold, early 15c., from en- (1) "make, put in" + fold (n.). Related: Enfolded; enfolding.
digamist (n.): "person who has married a second time," 1650s, from di- (1) + -gamy + -ist.
insubordinate (adj.): 1792, on model of French insubordonné (1787); from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + subordinate (adj.) "submitting to authority." Related: Insubordinately.
insufferable (adj.): "intolerable, not to be endured," early 15c., from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + sufferable. Related: Insufferably.