Hang fire

The latest news out of France is that they’re setting curfews to quell the violence in the streets: “France will impose curfews under a state-of-emergency law and call up police reservists to stop rioting that has spread out of Paris' suburbs and into nearly 300 cities and towns across the country, the prime minister said Monday, calling a return to order "our No. 1 responsibility."

The use of the word “curfew” is appropriate since it comes from the French for “cover fire” – “originally a signal, such as the ringing of a bell, to damp the fire, extinguish all lights in the dwelling, and retire for the night. The custom originated as a precaution against fires and was common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.”

Ah, the minor amusements of a word nerd.