Tag Archives: linguistics

Book Find

After being snowbound for 40 hours we were finally able to get out late Sunday morning. The first event: A family trip to a bookstore. There I found and bought a copy of The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man. I had read it decades ago, back in college or even high school. The author, David W. Maurer was a long time friend and colleague of my parents. When I saw The Sting a few years later I immediately noticed how closely it followed Maurer’s book and mentioned that to my father. Dad agreed, but that was done with without Maurer’s permission or any acknowledgement of his work. As noted here, a lawsuit followed.

After all these years, The Big Con still finds new fans, such as Cory Doctorow.

The rehabilitation of a useful phrase

The “Rule of Thumb for Wife-Beating” Hoax
The Straight Dope

The Phrase Finder
Chowder, Gig, Pipsqueak, Mayhem, Nonplussed and The Real Rule of Thumb
No Uncertain Terms

Origin(s) of “Rule of Thumb”
European Men Profeminist Network

Apparently back in the 1700’s some judge said there was such a law, and the story has been freely passed on from then without being checked. In fact the ordinary innocuous usage is considerably older.

I am pleased that the phrase can be used again. “Heuristic” is just too geeky in most circumstances, even for me.

(Following up on a Facebook note by my old friend Sister Edith Bogue)

A note on Tuesday, especially for English majors and lawyers

So maybe Chief Justice Roberts was instinctively editing and “improving” the wording of the constitutional oath.

Ann Althouse links to Oaf of Office

She then adds her own perspective from the legal world:

But let’s remember that Barack Obama was the president of the Harvard Law Review — that is, the editor-in-chief — while John Roberts was the managing editor. For those of you who know law reviews, that means a lot. The managing editor is typically the person with the most intense interest in the details of grammar and usage. It would be cool if we could know that when Barack Obama paused after John Roberts moved the “faithfully” that he was thinking: I can see what you’re up to, you old managing editor, and I know you are wrong.