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June 19, 2013
Sleight
"Sleight of hand" is one tricky phrase. "Sleight" is often miswritten as "slight" and for good reason. Not only does the expression convey an image of light, nimble fingers, which fits well with the smallness implied by "slight," but an alternate expression for the concept is "legerdemain," from the French l'er de main," literally, "light of hand." "Sleight" comes from a different source, a Middle English word meaning "cunning" or "trickery." It's a wily little word that lives up to its name. 12 old words that survivedPosted by gerardvanderleun at June 19, 2013 5:31 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
Wasted on the 47%.
Posted by: Peccable at June 20, 2013 5:08 AM