Oliver Twist Gave the Word a Second Life
To twist is to turn something around itself. The word covers rope, dance, plot and a famous fictional orphan.
To twist is to turn something around itself or around another thing. The word runs from the literal to the entirely abstract: twisted rope, a twist of lemon, a twisted ankle, a plot twist, and the 1960s dance. Old English *twist* meant a divided object or a rope, and the root is the same *two* that gives *twain* and *between* — twisting begins with two strands. *Round the twist* is British slang for mad, playing on *round the bend*.
- To turn around itself. *Twist the wire.*
- A sudden change. *A plot twist.*
- A dance. *Dance the twist.*
- Round the twist — mad. *Round the twist.*
- Old English — *twist*, a rope. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | twist | Twist it. |
| Past | twisted | Twisted. |
| Noun | twist | A twist. |
| Adjective | twisty | Twisty. |
| Related | twine | Twine. |
- Twist the cap to open.Action.
- The ending had a twist.Narrative.
- He twisted his ankle.Injury.
Twist phrases
- Plot twist — an unexpected turn in a story
- Twist someone's arm — pressure them into agreeing
- Round the twist — British slang for mad
- Twist of fate — an unexpected turn of events
- Twist the knife — make a painful situation worse
Old English *twist*, a divided object or rope, from the root of *two*, since twisting joins two strands.
Are twist and two related?
Yes. Twisting begins with two strands wound together, and the word comes from the same Germanic root as two, twin and between.
What does round the twist mean?
British slang for mad, a variation on round the bend, itself from the curved drives of Victorian asylums.