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Nov 12, 2009
This week's themeWords with horse-related origins This week's words horse-and-buggy horse latitudes stalking horse hobbyhorse Trojan horse 
Illustration: W.W. Denslow
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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garghobbyhorse
PRONUNCIATION:
(HOB-ee-hors))
MEANING:
noun:
A favorite pastime, a pet project or topic; an obsession.
ETYMOLOGY:
The everyday word hobby is a shortening of the term hobbyhorse. A hobbyhorse
is a child's riding toy, consisting of a stick with the shape of a horse's
head on the front. It was called hobbyhorse, probably from the name Robin or
Hobin usually given to a small horse. The word is often used in a metaphorical
sense as "to ride one's hobbyhorse" meaning to pursue a pet topic.Also see cheval de bataille. USAGE:
"Charleston was my father's ministry, his hobbyhorse, his quiet obsession,
and the great love of his life."Pat Conroy; South of Broad; Nan A. Talese Books; 2009. See more usage examples of hobbyhorse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
The test of a democracy is not the magnificence of buildings or the speed of automobiles or the efficiency of air transportation, but rather the care given to the welfare of all the people. -Helen Adams Keller, lecturer and author (1880-1968)
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