Word To Use Today: spense.

There have always been people called Spencer all over the place: Lady Diana Spencer was the mother of the present Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and Percy Spencer was arguably even more useful, for he invented the microwave.*

But what are these Spencers claiming to do?

Spence is a rare word, but it has three distinct meanings. It can be a larder, where food is kept; it can be a parlour or sitting room, especially in a cottage; or it can be an allowance of money.

Can you spot the link?

Well, if you can't, I'll tell you:

Word To Use Today: spence. This word started out as the Latin dispendere, to distribute. From there we got the French despense, a larder, a place from which food is distributed. The larder word soon gave rise to espenser and took on two meanings: the person who distributes the stuff in the larder, that is, a chief servant or steward; and a sum of money doled out by the steward, who was for a time called the despendour. 

Spence meaning sitting room in a cottage is the place where food is divided up to be eaten.

*I say that Percy Spencer invented the microwave, but that's obviously not true: microwaves have been around billions of years, and are one of the most important sources of information about the Big Bang. 

Percy Spencer, however, was the one who worked out you can use them to heat soup.