Toccare... came down to French as toucher "to touch", whence English acquired the later version. And of course there is the word toccata, lifted from the Italian for a piece of solo instrumental music whose character suggests a performer sitting down to explore the "touch" of an...

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks, Dr. Goodword!

I'm curious about the Latin fungi mentioned in today's Good Word. Is the word fungi (to perform; to enjoy) related to the fungi we enjoy on pizza?

I'm not finding any previous posts about this word, and I am curious about the apparent decline of the unfortunate lackey from butler to bootlicker. It seems to have become a very specific word in current usage, referring only to government henchmen. I also wonder at the word's incidence as a surnam...