Words from Chicago

Dictionaries, both printed and online, provide the etymology of words. They are often interesting.

Here is a list of 40 words which originated in Chicago and remain in use.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2010/Top-40-Chicago-Words-Our-Contributions-to-the-English-Language/

Generally the etymology mentions the language from where it emerged, for instance, French, Latin etc. Here, it is location specific, as close to as a city.

Shooting from the hat

The Indian Express and Financial Express quoted a go-by-rule official, Ashok Khema (IAS, Haryana, often transferred for doing his duty) as saying there are honest politicians and he can name them off the hat. That is a mixed up idiom.

Probably he intended to say off the cuff, meaning straight away, without much effort, impromptu, extemporaneously. But yes, there is something one does by pulling something out of the hat, as if magically. Spring a surprise, as it were.

We may as well recall another expression: shooting from the hip when something is said quickly, instantaneously, as if you are pulling the gun from the holster at the hip and shoot, quickly.