Every word has a story

subsidy — The word 'subsidy' originally described reserve troops — soldiers 'sitting under' or behind the front lines, waiting to be called forward. Financial subsidies preserve this military metaphor: government money held in reserve, deployed to support a struggling industry or sector. The related word 'subside' (to settle down, to diminish) comes from the same root — when flood waters subside, they 'sit down.'

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