from lynching to chauvinism:
10 Awful Words and the People They’re Named For
by Mark Peters
We all want to live forever . But , probability are , you ’d rather relinquish a legacy altogether than have your name be synonymous with a cockamamy flub like a spoonerism or a bleak - witted word of honor like " dunce . “ For the comply 10 eponyms , we ask : Did these watchword - inspiring folks really deserve their drag through the linguistic mud ?
1. dunce
2.(slipping a) Mickey
Lynching , shrapnel , chauvinism , the original Mickey and more all after the jump …
When you have to do drugs somebody against their will ( hey , you suffer ta do what you buzz off ta do ) , it just would n’t sound right to slip ‘em a Ricardo , a Bjorn , or an Evelyn . It ’s got ta be a Mickey . At the turn of the twentieth century , Mickey Finn was a Chicago barroom owner in one of the seediest section of townsfolk — and he fit right in . Finn was known for serve " Mickey Finn Specials,“ which probably included chloral hydrate , a overweight sedative . After point customers spend out , Finn would haul them into his " operating room" and liberate them of all valuable ( including shoes ) . Never a Host of the Year nominee , this Mickey seems to have exhaustively earned his legacy , so do n’t pause to use it the next time you drug and overcharge your own customers .
3. spoonerism
Reverend William Archibald Spooner ( 1844”“1930 ) was far-famed for his muddle one - liner . And though it ’s hard to know which ones he really say , line such as " I have a half - warmed fish" and " Yes indeed , the Lord is a shoving leopard" still prove that the sound - interchange boo-boo is pretty wizardly as far as mistakes go . The spoonerism has even been used as a literary technique by poets and fiction writers , give Spooner little reason to cast over — or otherwise ineloquently protest — in his grave .
4. lynch
Although several Lynches ( not including David ) have been investigated by inquisitive etymologists , Virginia aboriginal Charles Lynch ( 1736”“1796 ) is most likely the piece behind the murderous Word of God . Lynch was a patriot , a planter , and a judge . But when he head a vigilante court to penalise Tories ( British stalwart ) during the American Revolution , he resolve to play the roles of panel and public executioner , too . Lynch has more than earned his besmirched name . In fact , he did half the besmirching himself by selfishly referring to his actions as " lynch law" and " lynching . “
5. shrapnel
6. draconian
A Lexis - Nexis news search point that folk are still talking about " draconian policies,“ " draconian penalties,“ and , most frighteningly , " draconian sexuality rules . “ Though Athenian lawgiver Draco is not all confirmed to have subsist , if he were existent , then around 621 B.C.E. , he institute two clock time - honor traditions : 1 ) writing laws down and 2 ) making laws that were batcrap - insane . They let in attribute the last penalty to such atrociousness as being faineant , whizzing in an skittle alley , and stealing an orchard apple tree . Apparently , he justified his measures with a form of non - logic along the lines of , " Jaywalkers merit to give way , and I ca n’t do anything big to hoi polloi murderers . So what ’re you gon na do?“
7. Boycott
In a nutshell ? Boycott got boycotted . Charles Cunningham Boycott ( 1832”“1897 ) was a retired English US Army captain who take his unwanted fame in 1880 when the Irish Land League decided to penalize him for not glower his rents . This then - novel scheme , which was a mere paragraph in the Russian - novel - size saga of Irish land reform , was a kind of taxonomic shunning in which Boycott was write out off from servants , supplies , mail , and lifestyle free of death threats . He might have been an malefic landlord , but if Boycott could see just how successful his name became , he ’d credibly be a very sad , regretful , evil landlord .
8. bogart (the joint)
9. Tawdry
The account of St. Audrey ( also known as St. Etheldreda ) is a classic exercise of how bad names bump to respectable masses . St. Audrey was the daughter of the queen of East Anglia ( then the Norfolk segment of Anglo - Saxon England ) , who lived a monastery - launch , ego - abdicate life-time . But , when she died of the plague in 679 , she was sporting a pretty nasty - seem tumor on her neck , which gossiper blame on her preference for wearing hardy necklaces in her youth . After her death , silk scarf joint called " St. Audrey laces" were sell in her accolade at Ely ’s annual St. Audrey ’s Fair . Then the British tendency for drop letter of the alphabet and syllable took over , and Audrey became " tawdry . “ It was a shortsighted trip-up from there to the dictionary , and tawdry has been synonymous with gaudy ever since .
10. chauvinism
Nicolas Chauvin was an early 19th”“century French soldier who was so loyal and superpatriotic , he gave nationalism and patriotism a high-risk name — or at least a new name . A slave to the cult of Napoleon , Chauvin shed his fair share of blood for the emperor . How did Napoleon show his appreciation ? By giving Chauvin a ceremonial saber , a ribbon , and a pittance of a pension . Later , however , French dramatists began basing über - patriotic character on Chauvin , which pave the mode for the soldier ’s ultimate reward : a dubious spot in the English language .
