Sarah Clatterbuck Soper

Sarah Clatterbuck Soper

@segv.com

Aficionado of nucleic acids and the proteins that love them. Fan of fancy microscopes. Mom, cyclist, rower, knitter, baker. Go O's!

481 followers1.3K following135 posts

I think about the English evolution of the verb “to check” in “checks and balances”. Modern speakers think of “to check” first in the sense of “verification”, instead of “to stop forcibly” or “to restrain”. People who used horses daily would certainly think of a check as a strong restraint.

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