No, it’s not the Oxford English Dictionary, although the initials are an interesting coincidence. What I found was the Online Etymology Dictionary, a site that goes into extensive detail about the origins of words and phrases.
For fun have a look at the page I stumbled upon;
http://www.etymonline.com/baloney.php
I found this site whilst researching the origins of the word ‘shit.’ If I tell you this, then the page above will make more sense.
The reason I was searching? I needed to have a tenth-century mythological character (old Norse) swear correctly, without the danger of anachronism.
I DID find what I was looking for, but I think I have stumbled upon a very interesting site…interesting if you are writing historical fantasy or fiction.
Or if you just love words – which many writers do. 😀
This site now joins my bookmarked sites listed under ‘Writer Resources.’
Enjoy!
Andrew Toynbee's very own Blog 