******* "Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. ~Dalai Lama
August 12, 2012, 15:01
Geoff
Oh. I thought it came from the late Claude Pepper.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
August 12, 2012, 15:45
zmježd
pepper
Just in case anybody is taken in by the alleged linguist in the cartoon bar, pep and pepper are related, and the origins given are incorrect.
On the other hand, it was funny.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
August 12, 2012, 18:44
Kalleh
Thanks, CW. It was funny...and reinforces that need for critical analysis in reading. Just because someone is highly educated or the information comes from a "reliable" site, or whatever, doesn't mean that it is accurate. We've seen that many times here. One example that I hear all the time is that Chicago is called the "windy city" because it's near the lake, thus making it windy. The real reason is because of the hot air ("wind") from politicians.
[Please see my comment below, on August 19, 2012, in this thread. This post is incorrect.]This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,
August 13, 2012, 06:37
zmježd
Also, very few linguists I have met have studied etymology.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
August 13, 2012, 15:24
Geoff
quote:
Originally posted by Kalleh: I hear all the time is that Chicago is called the "windy city" because it's near the lake, thus making it windy. The real reason is because of the hot air ("wind") from politicians.
So why isn't Boston also called a windy city, what with Boston baked beans and all...
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
August 14, 2012, 07:09
zmježd
Windy City
As with many obscure etymologies, there are competing theories: see the Wikipedia article and its references.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
August 18, 2012, 21:35
Kalleh
Well, I don't profess to know the comprehensive history of Chicago's nickname, but I can assure you that Shu does. He has studied this for awhile. I am hoping he will come in and say a word or two.
Wikipedia is great...but from time to time we all have seen some articles that are less than stellar.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,
August 18, 2012, 22:03
zmježd
Wikipedia is great...but from time to time we all have seen some articles that are less than stellar.
Sure, a Wikipedia article can be a little henky, but if you check out the references, you find folks like Michael Quinion and Barry Popik. I read through the various theories, and I find that the etymology is unknown. Shu is welcome to his opinion, as am I.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
August 19, 2012, 04:44
bethree5
quote:
Originally posted by zmježd: Windy City
As with many obscure etymologies, there are competing theories: see the Wikipedia article and its references.
An interesting article! I had to laugh at 'Windy City' in its boastful bombastic sense, the aspersion cast by rivals Cincinnatti (re: baseball) and NYC (re: competing for World's Fair location). To get a little 'windy' myself, I find the footnoted chart of annual wind speeds to be slanted toward Chicago! How dare they compare a measurement taken in Central Park? Try the blustery canyons around Wall St, where I worked for yrs, never without at least a trenchcoat & scarf.
August 19, 2012, 10:09
Geoff
quote:
Originally posted by bethree5:
Try the blustery canyons around Wall St
Now we poor folks know why our money goes "whoosh" when we take it to a bank.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
August 19, 2012, 20:53
Kalleh
I really want Shu to chime in here. I apparently was wrong (above) about the real first reference to Chicago being the windy city. Please disregard that blustery reply! According to Shu, the real first reference to it apparently was the baseball one (see Wikipedia), though I probably need to shut up about this and let Shu comment.
