Etymology Challenge 1

[The_Q]

Since it's winter break and I get bored, I figured I'd start a little CT revival by getting going a nice little challenge. Every few days I'll post a word that's used in slang or everyday language and I want you guys to look up how it got to what it originally was and how it came to mean what it does in slang.

The first word is swell as in "Boy, Hell seems like a swell place to be. Hope I go there someday!"

Good luck!

Q