"pumpernickel court"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 9/27/2011 01:22 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
>Sorry, I find the topic frustrating because so much of the academic research
>is just wrong, and gets repeated by others too lazy to check original
>sources.
>
>So, to clarify, the original Pumpernickel court was not metaphorical, just
>fictional.
>
>I disagree that Cobban is using 'Pumpernickel Court' as a place name -- it
>clearly refers to people, the courtiers, that "could not but be civil".

You're right.  But then it's better in terms of potential eligibility
for the OED.

>Whether the 1914 reference to 'a Pumpernickel court' justifies inclusion as
>a metaphor in its own right  is not a decision I am qualified to make.

Nor am I, which is why I am sending it to ADS-L or Jesse, rather than
directly updating the OED.  (Oh, it's not a Wiki?)

>DanG

Joel

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