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Etymology of Nanny Charges

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A young woman who works as a nanny wants to know why the term charge is used to refer to the youngsters she cares for. Charge goes back to a Latin root meaning, “to carry,” and it essentially has to do with being responsible for something difficult. That same sense of “to carry” informs the word charger, as in a type of decorative dinnerware that “carries” a plate. This is part of a complete episode.

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