File under: Things I did not know.
I have a delightful friend who recently ordered a rather expensive sideboard for her home that she referred to as a credenza - which is of course the correct term. What she did not know is that the word comes from the Italian for "belief." In the sixteenth century it referred to the pre-tasting of food and drink by a servant to make sure his lord was not about to be poisoned. Eventually the word came to describe the piece of furniture that held the food before it was finally served. If pre-tasting is necessary in someone's home you may want to reconsider your friends.
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