Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Ag Etymology   Many of the words and phrases we use in our language every day have their source in agriculture. Because most Americans are at least two or three generations removed from farm life, many of these words and phrases have no meaning to us, apart from the way we have come to understand them. The word, "ram," for example, has come to mean crush or impact another object, although it has its origins in a common behavior of a male sheep, a ram. When threatened or provoked, a mature male sheep will lower its heads and charge into an opponent or predator. Click on the following links to find the agricultural etymologies of some other common words and sayings.   Goats / Horses / Poultry and Eggs /Sheep / Swine   top