asparagus

The word asparagus is borrowed from the ancient Greeks' name for the plant, asparagos, which could also just refer to the young shoot of any plant. This word is probably related to a Greek verb spharageitai, meaning “it's full to bursting,” which might describe a fast-growing plant shoot. But to English speakers the word has sometimes seemed odd and a little difficult to say. In the American countryside people have turned asparagus into “aspergrass” or “aspirin grass” or—the most popular—“sparrow grass.” These expressions are easier to say and tickle our sense of humor a bit.