Actually, it's funny you should say that, Julia. The English word clock and the German Glocke are cognates. More precisely, clock is from the French cloche which means bell also, and is a cognate with the German word, both from the latin glocio

I have heard these histories and others, but all sources I have seen also say that the history is obscure. No one really knows for sure.

PS - have you ever noticed that when you make the "OK" sign with your hand, you actually spell out the letters, "O" and "K"? I've never seen this mentioned anywhere.

Ok, I'm sure you've all seen this, but I just couldn't resist:

Owed to a Spell Chequer

I halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plane lee marques four my revue
Miss steaks aye ken knot sea

Eye ran this poem threw it
Your sure reel glad two no
It's vary polished in it's weigh
My chequer tolled me sew

A chequer is a bless sing
It freeze yew lodes of thyme
It helps me awl stiles two reed
And aides mi when aye rime

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud
And wee mussed dew the best wee can
Sew flaws are knot aloud

And now bee cause my spelling
is checked with such grate flare
Their are know faults with in my cite
Of nun eye am a wear

Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed to be a joule
The chequer poured o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule

That's why aye brake in two averse
My righting wants too pleas
Sow now ewe sea wye aye dew prays
Such soft wear for pea seas

While very similar, these are not clitics. Clitics are words that can only be used in conjunction with other words.
the word 'em, as in I can see 'em now. or in French, the article l' as in l'amour. clitics are always used in combination with other words, but technically they are separate individual words.

Actually, a or an is usually optional before a word beginning in 'H'.
a halibut or an halibut are equally correct, although an halibut is mcuh less common, at least in the USA.

and for acronyms, there are many that are both pronounced as a single word and are also spelled out letter by letter. You could use "a" or "an" interchangeably, your choice (at least in writing). Funny, I can't think of any examples right now.

then, MPT, could a nail flatten my tire?

I'm sorry. I'm afraid I have to agree with Bubba. From now on, I'm going to refer to it as a computer MOOSE. and when I have TWO computers, I'm gonna have TWO computer MOOSE!!!!
After all, the MOOSE is a cute animal, but its tail is rather stubby. I guess that would make mine a WIRELESS MOOSE!!!!

Persephone, if there were only two cases, the worse of the two would still be the worst-case scenario. However, if there were THREE, then I suppose the middle one would be the worse-case, but not the worst-case:).
And Häakon, I'd just love to hear you describe having your photo prints developed by the Photo Prince.
Don't even get me started on "for all intensive purposes..."

Oh, come on now.
look at these:
I am happy.
I am so happy.
I am unhappy.
I am so unhappy.
I am not happy.
I am so not happy.
Clearly, ...so not.... is very awkward, but just as clearly, grammatically correct. Why, that's the very point. That's exactly why it's funny, isn't it?
I would have to guess that the TV show, Friends is either the originator, or at least the force that popularized this particular twist of language.

I think you included the seeds of your own answer. as you suggested,
"...you could really gain "by" something" does sound awkward.
but:
"...you could really gain "from" something"
sounds ok.
Well, consider this:
"...you could really gain "by" DOING something"
sounds ok, doesn't it?
I'm no English professor, but I think this is the paradigm:
If the cause of your gain is a noun, then you gain "from" it, but if the cause of your gain is a verb, then you gain "by" it.
example:
I gained a lot from excercise.
I gained a lot by excercising.