[Ads-l] "sellsword", mercenary

Barretts Mail mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM
Wed Nov 21 23:28:03 UTC 2018


Not in the English OLD.

Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sellsword <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sellsword>) has two definitions, going back to 1969 with citations:

• (usually fantasy) A mercenary. 
• (hence figuratively, often derogatory) Someone who only works for money, in the manner of a mercenary.

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 21 Nov 2018, at 15:21, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> I just came across this word in the wild. I was reading a WSJ article from
> Tuesday about chess players changing allegiance:
> 
> "Critics say the knights of American chess are nothing but sellswords."


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