Combination: kangaroo court (antedating 1841 August 24)

[Victor Steinbok]

Hopefully not a stupid question, but how well established is the origin
of Kangaroo court? The 2004 publication cited in one of the earlier
messages ascribed the origin to the name of a brothel and the eponymous
area that was derived from it. Given that several New Orleans references
precede those from California, that seems at least plausible.

But consider one more piece of data that pops up in searches.
HMS Kangaroo that was assigned to the Caribbean in the second quarter of
the 19th century was subject to at least two pirate takeovers and
multiple court-martials between 1825 and 1840. I am not suggesting that
there is any evidence connecting HMS Kangaroo with Kangaroo Courts. The
only "evidence" is the temporal coincidence.

At the same time, it is hard to believe that an association with a
British ship would pop up in US slang so easily.

VS-)

On 6/24/2010 7:18 PM, George Thompson wrote:
> Barry's list of supporting citations establishes that the OED's definition misses one form of kangaroo court -- a joke tribunal among friends or teammates leyying small fines for infractions of the proper way of doing things.
> If I recall correctly, Mariano Rivera is the judge of the Kangaroo Court in the Yankees clubhouse.
>
> 27 July 1850, Spirit of the Times, pg. 269:
> DRAFTS AT SIGHT ON THE SOUTH-WEST.
> TERM-TIME IN THE BACKWOODS, AND A MESTANG COURT.
> (...)
> By unanimous vote, Judge G--, the fattest and funniest of the assembly—was elected to the bench, and the “Mestang” or “Kangaroo Court” regularly organized. Impossible as it would be for any one to convey to the reader a correct idea of the ludicrous and supremely ridiculous scene which ensued, I will yet attempt it.
> (...)
>
> The OED's definition covers only courts handing out grim justice in a lawless situation:
> "kangaroo court orig. U.S., an improperly constituted court having no legal standing, e.g. one held by strikers, mutineers, prisoners, etc."
>
> GAT
>
> George A. Thompson

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