Where did the word "picnic" come from?

Search: picnic origin

Why: During a pleasant lunch in Griffith Park, Amy said the "nic" part had unsavory racist beginnings. I didn't want to say that word anymore.

Answer: A 1692 edition of Origines de la Langue Françoise de Ménage mentions the word piquenique as a new word. This is the oldest appearance of the word in print. It is probably from the verb pique (to pick or peck) plus a nonsense rhyming syllable (nique) to make it sound charming.

Originally, the term referred to a kind of potluck, wherein each guest was expected to show up with a dish to add to the feast. Over time, the meaning evolved to emphasize a sort of alfresco element to each gathering, so that now, a picnic is simply an outdoor pleasure party.

Source: Snopes

The More You Know: There is a good article about founders of Snopes (a married couple, Barbara and David Mikkelson) in Reader's Digest this month. They seem like pretty cool peeps.