[Ads-l] An etymythology semi-endorsed by The New Yorker

[Laurence Horn]

> On Jan 26, 2024, at 1:24 AM, Martin Purdy <00000bd8cf391c5b-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> wrote:
> 
> I've seen it claimed that any assertions that a term originated from an acronym prior to 1900 are almost certainly spurious. I'd love to know if there are any documented examples from the 19th century or earlier. 

Well, we’d need to exempt acronyms from religious traditions and other language, e.g. Hebrew (Tanakh, Rashi) and Greek (ichthys, for the “Jesus fish” on cars and such: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_of_the_ichthys_symbol).  But I think the cautionary note works pretty well for English, although other subscribers can probably narrow down the date of the first confirmed English acronym.

LH
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>  On Fri, 26 Jan 2024 at 14:01, Laurence Horn<laurence.horn at YALE.EDU <mailto:laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>> wrote:   [Faux acronym division]
> 
> From an article on “Gratuity culture” and “the Tipping Point” (cute, that):
> 
> By the seventeenth century, visitors to aristocratic estates were expected to pay “vails” to the staff. This might have lowered payroll for the estate itself. At least one aristocrat helped himself to some of this new income stream; he threw frequent parties to increase revenues. The system spread. English coffeehouses were said to set out urns inscribed with “To Insure Promptitude.” Customers tossed in coins. Eventually, the inscription was shortened to “tip.” 
> 
> https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/01/has-gratuity-culture-reached-a-tipping-point
> 
> Well, maybe, except that as far as I know there’s no evidence that any such urns were so inscribed. The plausible conclusion is that this is just one of many faux acronym tall tales, spread disingenously or not.  Will subsequent New Yorker pieces on golf and sex promote derivations from “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden” and “Fornication Under Consent of the King” respectively?  Of course the piece does distance itself a little way from the claim:  “...were said to…”. But Mr. Helfand’s piece still urns…er, earns our skepticism.  
> 
> LH
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