Scozzafava (UNCLASSIFIED)

Mullins, Bill AMRDEC Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL
Thu Nov 5 23:04:54 UTC 2009


Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE



> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf Of Cohen, Gerald Leonard
> Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 4:09 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Scozzafava
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
---------------
> --------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Cohen, Gerald Leonard" <gcohen at MST.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Scozzafava
>
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> --------
>
> I'm wondering about the etymology of this name.  On the Internet I see
> =
> the following suggestion (http://www.drweevil.org/?p=3D653):=20
>
> I believe scozza fava means "scramble bean" from a game played at
fairs
> =
> that involves a sharpster challenging the marks to find under which =
> shell a bean dyed red is hiding. Of course the mark is always wrong
and
> =
> loses his bet. I believe the English term is "shell game".
>
>

AKA "Thimble rig".

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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