758: pummel and pommel Jan 4, 2017

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What would an apple, the top of a building, and the act of striking someone have in common?
An apple in French is 'pomme' which still does not hint much at answer, it may be interesting to know that an Old French diminutive of the Latin for 'apple', 'pommel' which in 'Middle English meant a ball on the top point of a tower, and,  importantly in this case, was often used to refer to the butt of a sword. Later on, 'to pommel' morphed into 'to pummel' based on the connotation to striking.

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