Do you know the etymology of the word mayday? It comes from the French m'aidez (pronounced much like the English word mayday). It literally translates to ''help me.'' Whenever we use the word or send out a mayday signal, that's literally what we mean: help me. Mayday is the international call signal for distress used by ships and aircraft that are in the midst of the most severe circumstances. Because of this, the word mayday sometimes denotes hopelessness...