Cecil Rhodes is considered a controversial figure today because of his colonization efforts in Africa and what some historians call a white supremacist. In present day England, there was a movement to remove the Cecil Rhodes statue from Oriel College, Oxford. In June 2020, the governors of the college voted to remove the statue even though they may stand to lose a considerable amount of money in gifts. A final decision about removal still has not been made and discussion will continue into 2021.

Or akimbo? The adjective akimbo, pronounced "uh-KIM-bo," comes from the Middle English phrase in kenebowe, which meant “at a sharp angle" — a good description for how your arms look when, elbows bent, you have your hands on your hips.

Straw poll The first polls were elections held by counting heads, for pol, polle in Middle English simply meant “head.” One still goes to the polls to cast ballots in elections. The first so-called “straw” or unofficial polls were held in the United States in 1824. They consisted chiefly of man-in-the-street interviews or door-to-door canvassing by newspaper reporters. Since the mid-1930s, with debacle of the Literary Digest mail poll, which predicted a victory for Landon over Roosevelt, techniques have been greatly improved. Now, such polls as the Gallup, Harris and Roper surveys are used not only to gauge probable election results but also to test public reaction to new products and the like.

Sight for sore eyes A very old expression and means “a very welcome sight,” especially one that is unexpected, such as the sudden appearance of an old friend. The Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs gives as an example this quotation from a book published in 1836: “What a sight for sore eyes it would be to see Garrick act.” In Jonathan Swift’s “Polite Conversation” (1736) he wrote: The sight of you is good for sore eyes.”