The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is…

dander (noun):

1 : dandruff – minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may be allergenic
2 : anger, temper – especially in the phrase “get someone’s dander up.”

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : How did dander acquire its “temper” sense? There are several theories, though the evidence is inconclusive. It has been proposed that the meaning comes from the image of an angry person tearing out their hair by the fistful, scattering dandruff in the process. Some think it comes from a West Indian word dander, which refers to a kind of ferment and suggests “rising” anger (in English, ferment can mean “a state of unrest or excitement”). Others have suggested that the “anger” sense comes from the Dutch phrase op donderen, meaning “to burst into a sudden rage.”

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