The Captain’s Log

Hobgoblin

The noun hobgoblin names a dubious source of fear, an imaginary or an exaggerated threat.

Hob is a variant of the name Rob, which is a shortening of Robin or Robert.

A goblin is a mischievous spirit. Goblin derives from the Ancient Greek kobalos, which named a deceitful or an unreliable person. Originally, kobalos named a porter, someone who carried goods. Over time, the meaning changed presumably to reflect the poor reputation of porters. Kobalos is thought to have an pre-Greek origin.

In English folklore, a hobgoblin was a helpful, and then eventually, a mischievous household spirit. In exchange for food, a helpful hobgoblin might perform chores for you while you slept or were absent. A mischievous hobgoblin might hide or break household items while you slept or were absent.

Skunk

The noun skunk names a New World mammal of the Mephitidae family. Skunks resemble badgers in size and coloring. Both animals have black fur with white stripes. Skunks are notorious for spraying antagonists with a foul-smelling liquid secreted by the skunks’ anal glands. Skunk enters English as squunck in the early 17th century. Squunck is thought to derive from an unattested Algonquian word.

Panoply

The noun panoply originally named a complete suit of armor. Panoply derives from the Greek panoplia, which is a combination of pan, which means all, and hopla, which means the armament of a hoplite, a heavily armed soldier. Today, panoply means a wide array of items or a complete set of items.

Jumper

The noun jumper, as in a sweater, probably derives from a 17th-century jump, which meant a short coat for men. Jump probably derives from the French jupe, which means a skirt today but originally named a tunic worn under armor. Jupe derives from the Arabic jubbah, a full-length, robe-like outer garment. The name of the garment derives from the Arabic verb that means to cut or to open.