akimbo

The story

1. Old Norse · derived fromkengr“bent”
2. Middle English · inherited fromin kenebowe, in kene bowe“in a keen bow”, i.e. “in a sharp bend or angle”
3. English todayakimbo

From Middle English in kenebowe, in kene bowe (“in a keen bow”, i.e. “in a sharp bend or angle”), from in (“in”) + keen, kene (“brave, keen, sharp”) + bowe (“bow, bend”). Alternately, possibly from Old Norse kengr (“bent”) + bogi (“a bow”), compare Icelandic kengboginn (“bow-bent”).