Words: Monica, n. (slang)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.MONICA, MONIKER, monicker, monnicker, monekeer, monniker, monekeur, monneker, monoger, monekur, monocker. Not, as one might be forgiven for thinking, the cry of a president in ecstasy, but slang variants for a name or nickname.
The etymology is mysterious, according to Eric Partridge's Slang and Unconventional English. Suspects include: St Monica (the name deriving from the Latin monitor, an adviser), or an Italian word, monaco, for monk, or backslang for "eke-name", with the back-form "emaneke" becoming, by aphesis, maneke, then moneke. A derivation from monarch is another idea. Partridge himself puts his money on monoger as an abbreviation of monogram, though monoger appeared only in 1926, compared with monekeer in 1851.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments