[Ads-l] A bacronym named Steve

[Mark Mandel]

On Wed, Mar 21, 2018 at 11:45 AM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> Two proto-backronyms (as given in Dave Wilton's _Word Myths_ and elsewhere)
> are:
>
> ICHTHYS = Iesous CHristos, THeou Yios, Soter
> CABAL = Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley-Cooper, Lauderdale (high
> councillors of Charles II)
>

ICHTHYS, quite possibly; the fish symbol was popular in many religions
before and during the birth of Christianity.
However, CABAL is a classic case of folk etymology, outside of the specific
context of use in Charles II's time to refer to these five councillors.

*cabal*: French *cabale*, from Medieval Latin *cabala*. See KABBALAH.
*kabbalah*: Medieval Ltin *cabala*, from Hebrew *qabbālāh*, received
doctrine, tradition, from *qibbēl*, to receive. See *qbl* in Appendix II.
(*American Heritage Dictionary*, 4th edn.)

Mark Mandel

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