You said it as though it is said as "hwy", from Middle English and Old English pronunciations.

The word is used to get the reason for something, as in the sentence to mean "For what cause, reason or purpose" did you do it?

The English got the word from Old English "hwy," and kept the OE pronunciation as it was spelled. (It looks like an abbreviation of "highway".)

Coins with serrated edges

Why do pennies and nickels have a smooth edge, but all other coins have serrated edges?

The early U.S. coins had smooth edges because it cost less than serrating the edges.

Other coins later had the edges serrated. Nefarious types would file or clip off the edges of silver coins. With serrated edges, if someone files off the serration, it leaves the edges smooth and is easily detected.

Which fruits are in Juicy Fruit chewing gum? The Wrigley Company refuses to reveal the secret formula for Juicy Fruit gum.

However, Wrigleys were kind enough to list the main flavors. They are: lemon, orange, pineapple and banana. Maybe the banana is responsible for Juicy Fruit's inimitable richness.

Why are the letters on a typewriter arranged as they are?

The letters are arranged for the easiest movement of the typists fingers. Early typewriters had eight to ten rows because capital letters and lowercase letters had separate keys, which were arranged in alphabetical order.

Christopher Sholes invented the first production typewriter in 1873, but he rearranged the keyboard, considering the easiest movement of the fingers. It was referred to as the QWERTY keyboard, which are the first five letters on the top row.

What does QWERTY mean?

The Sholes brothers created the QWERTY keyboard to avoid key jamming, but it didn't. Many theorists proposed more efficient letter arrangement but the question remains whether a century of QWERTY keyboard use can be overcome by such a mild force as logic.

Why Does an X stand for "kiss"?

Three XXXs have stood for kisses for a long time. But the X was also used by educated people who didn't use an X as a signature. The acceptance of X had everything to do with Christian symbolism. The X was the sign of St. Andrew, one of the 12 apostles. Signing the X implied a guarantee to live up to one's promises in that saint's name.

The X also had intimate associations with Christ Himself. The X was regarded as a visual representation of the cross of the Calvary and the Crucifixion, and X, as well as an English letter, is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Christos. (The Greek letter, of course, is chi.)

During World War II the British and American military were so alarmed by its constant use that they forbade their soldiers from putting XXX's in their letters home, fearing that spies might insert cryptic odes into these humble marks, which once stood for "truth."

Dr. A.O. Goldsmith of Kennett is a retired director of the School of Journalism, Louisiana State University.