Q. Why are hand weights called "dumbbells"? — J. H., West Hartford, Conn.

It's hard to imagine these clunky objects having anything to do with a church, but that's where the term began.

The earliest meaning of "dumb," a word that appeared in English around A.D. 1000, was "incapable of speech, mute." This meaning produced "dumb show" (a pantomime), "dumbstruck" (made silent by astonishment) and "dumbfound" (a blend ...

( Back to Article )