Slang for crystal meth

[Wilson Gray]

On Aug 3, 2005, at 11:05 PM, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Slang for crystal meth
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>
> On Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:07:47 -0400, Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> wrote:
>
>> Newsweek  August 8, 2005
>> p.47
>>
>> "... Crank, so-nicknamed because bikers would hide meth in their
>> motorcycles' crankcases"
>
> Looks like this is a popular explanation:

If you mean that it strikes you as bullshit, I'm afraid that I have to
disagree with anyone who disagrees with you. The writers of the article
probably pulled that "etymology" out of their asses.

-Wilson Gray

>
> http://www.google.com/search?q=meth+crank-cases
>
> This has all the hallmarks of an urban-legend/etymythology, including a
> lack of verifiability and numerous variations on the theme. (Is the
> crankcase a hiding place or a reaction vessel? Is it a motorcycle
> crankcase or a truck crankcase?)
>
> HDAS has "crank" back to 1969, but I don't see the "crankcase"
> derivation
> until 1995 (S.F. Chronicle, "The Kiss of Meth", 8/27/95) -- though
> there
> was a 1989 DEA crackdown on San Diego meth labs known as "Operation
> Crankcase" (could this have simply been a pun on the DEA's part?).
>
> I'd go with the much more mundane explanation that the drug "cranks up"
> the user.
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>