Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: Benjo! (and Left Coast Crime)

 I'm happy to report that I'll be at Left Coast Crime in Seattle next month and part of a lovely panel on one of my favorite topics: Slang! The panel, titled "Slang Me: Dialogue Through History" will be in Grand C on Friday, April 12, 4 p.m. The other panelists are Sarah Niebuhr Rubin (moderator), Sarah M. Chen, Tessa Floreano, and Jeanne Matthews. 

 Looking for a lovely slang word from the past to offer today, I bumped into benjo (which I first misread as "banjo." Nooo connection.)  According to Mental Floss, benjo is 19th-century sailor slang for “A riotous holiday, a noisy day in the streets.” Woot and huzzah! While I was writing THE SECRET IN THE WALL, I spent a fair bit of time swimming through nautical slang (since a number of secondary characters were "men of the sea."), so I was doubly pleased with this definition. 

I did have trouble finding the word with this meaning elsewhere (it appears as a first and last name, and has different definitions in different languages and timeframes)... but did find it referenced in Green's Dictionary of Slang under the entry for bender:

bender n.2 [? the image of a drunkard (or drug user) as unsteady on their feet; or ? f. an image of bending a bow or elbow. Note naut. jargon benjo, a spree, f. Ital./Lingua Fr. buengiorno, a good day]

 If it's good enough for Green's, it's good enough for me and for Slang-o-rama!

Sailors at a drunken orgy.
Mezzotint by W. Ward, 1807, after J.C. Ibbetson, 1802. (A scene in an unspecified tavern at Portsmouth after one or more ships have been paid off.)
Wellcome Collection gallery (2018-04-02), CC BY 4.0, Link

Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: Agog about award noms

 I missed a week of Slang-o-rama, and I blame it on being agog re: nominations left and right. 'Tis the season when various organizations start putting forth their nominees for various awards, and I always devour those lists avidly. But before I offer the ones that have me all agog, let's take a quick Slang-o-rama look at (you guessed it!) agog...

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The Online Etymology Dictionary has this adverbial entry:

agog: "in a state of desire; in a state of imagination; heated with the notion of some enjoyment; longing" [Johnson], c. 1400, agogge, probably from Old French en gogues "in jest, good humor, joyfulness," from gogue "fun," which is of unknown origin.

Wiktionary also defines the Old French en gogues as "in a merry mood" and also points to the Italian agognare (“to desire eagerly”). Plus, it additionally defines the adjective agog to mean wide open (eyes), which is actually the definition that first popped to my mind. Merriam-Webster also has a very nice entry that dives a little deeper into the word and provides adjectival synonyms "eager," "agape," "astonished," bustling," and "replete." MW also provides different "first use" dates, with 1663 as an adverb and 1664 as an adjective. 

Now, to the lists!

Nominees for various mystery/crime fiction/nonfiction awards are starting to roll in:

• Nominations for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards are here
• Left Coast Crime has its Lefty Award nominees here (and to add excitement to my agog, THE SECRET IN THE WALL is a nominee for the Lefty award for Best Historical Mystery!)
• Malice Domestic has announced the nominees for the Agatha Awards here

Congratulations to ALL nominees, everywhere, and a special shout-out to good buddy Mary Anna Evans who is up for an Edgar and an Agatha for her nonfiction book The Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, co-authored with J. C. Bernthal. 

A good place to get the latest greatest news in the mystery corner of the world is Janet Rudolph's Mystery Fanfare blog (plus Janet runs fun cartoons that make me laugh, such as this one about the difference between dogs and cats.)

Stepping out of the world of mystery, let's not forget the Oscar nominations! Along with being an avid reader, I love movies, and am glad to see some of my favorites from last year listed. If you have any favorite films you're agog over, leave a comment and let me know...

Eyes all agog (and a marvelous hat!), circa 1880
By C & R Lavis, Eastbourne - Family collection, Public Domain, Link

Albuquerque!

 Slang-o-rama is taking a week off while I'm at the (in-person!) Left Coast Crime mystery convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

I'll be appearing on the panel No Skirting the Issue: Female Protagonists in Historical Mysteries along with authors Anne Louise Bannon (moderator), Mariah Fredericks, Dianne Freeman, and Erica Ruth Neubauer. The panel runs Saturday, April 9, 2:45–3:30 p.m. (You can view all the panels for the conference here.)

I will be "back on deck" with more idioms, slang, and fun stuff on April 13. In the meantime, The Online Etymological Dictionary has this bit about the origin of the word Albuquerque and here's a little musical interlude for you: Neil Young's Albuquerque from the album "Tonight's the Night" from 1975 (egads, talk about historical!). 

Join the Left Coast Crime (Virtual) Unconvention fun this Saturday, February 27

 

With the pandemic still with us, the Left Coast Crime convention has become the UNconvention this year. The Lefty Awards will, however, continue!

On Saturday, February 27, 2021, The Unconvention will host four online panels to introduce the 2021 Lefty Nominees and their books. The Lefty Award Nominee Webinar is free, but advance registration is required. For schedule and registration, click here.

I'll be appearing on the Best Historical Novel panel with the other nominees. Here's the list of panelists and their books for that session, which starts at 11:15 a.m., Pacific Time:

• Susanna Calkins, The Fate of a Flapper (Minotaur Books)
•  Dianne Freeman, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (Kensington Books)
•  Laurie R. King, Riviera Gold (Bantam Books)
•  Catriona McPherson, The Turning Tide (Quercus)
•  Ann Parker, Mortal Music (Poisoned Pen Press)
•  James W. Ziskin, Turn to Stone (Seventh Street Books)

The festivities start at 8:30 a.m., Pacific Time, with panels for Best Debut Novel and Best Novel followed by Best Historical Novel and wrapping up with Best Humorous Novel. So get registered for this FREE event, and get ready to bring your favorite cuppa, kick up your feet in front the screen, and add to your to-be-read piles. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: Snookered!

Yes, I know I promised an arm and a leg for this week, but I've been snookered by a virus (not THIS virus, thank goodness. Just some run-of-the-mill seasonal virus). As a result, I had to bow out of attending one of my favorite mystery conventions, Left Coast Crime. And I am saaaaaad. 😢

So, while the ibuprofen is at maximum strength, let's take a look at the word snookered. Could my 19th century protagonist Inez cry out in anger that she'd been snookered and stomp around in a fury? I'd like to think so—at least, I can certainly envision it—but I've been wrong before... 
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My copy of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition,  notes that the noun snooker (dating from 1889 and of unknown origin) is a variation of pool played with 15 red balls and 6 variously colored balls. It took until 1925, apparently, for it to gain traction as a verb meaning to make a dupe of or hoodwink.

Huh!

I'm not seeing how the noun and verb are even related. But then, I've never played snooker! Let's dig a little deeper.

The Online Etymological Dictionary offers a possible explanation of how the game came to be called such, and then gets right down to it, defining snooker as "to cheat" and providing this connection, straight from the rules of the game:

One of the great amusements of this game is, by accuracy in strength, to place the white ball so close behind a pool ball that the next player cannot hit a pyramid ball, he being "snookered" from all of them. If he fail to strike a pyramid ball, this failure counts one to the adversary. If, however, in attempting to strike a pyramid ball off a cushion, he strike a pool ball, his adversary is credited with as many points as the pool ball that is struck would count if pocketed by rule. [Maj.-Gen. A.W. Drayson, The Art of Practical Billiards for Amateurs, 1889]

Still, this sneaky setup isn't "cheating," per se. It just sounds like very skilled playing. So, I'm still not seeing the connection. Luckily, there's a very nice discussion on Stack Exchange about this very thing, and I invite you to check it out... you'll learn a lot more about snooker—the game and the possible connection to "cheating," than I can tell you here. 

My takeaway: I can be snookered, but Inez can't (at least, not in 1882!).

And just when you least expect it, snookered! (I could definitely see Inez doing this...)
From The Galaxy, An Illustrated Magazine of Entertaining Reading, Vol. VI), July 1868
Wood engraving, Winslow Homer

Addendum: In her comment below, Liz V mentioned the movie "The Hustler" starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason. I found a clip and just have to share. Thank you, Liz!

Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: A fine fettle

It's Wednesday, and I'm feeling in a fine fettle because I am flying off to Vancouver, British Columbia, for the annual Left Coast Crime conference (which happens to be one of my VERY favorite conferences).

So, yes, I'm smiling today. But what is a fettle, anyway? And what's so fine about it?

Let's find out!
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According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, we have:

fettle (n): "condition, state, trim," c. 1750, in a glossary of Lancashire dialect, from northern Middle English fettle (v.) "to make ready, fix, prepare, arrange" (late 14c.), which is of uncertain origin, perhaps akin to Old English fetian "to fetch" (see fetch (v.)); perhaps from Old English fetel "a girdle, belt," from Proto-Germanic *fatilaz (source also of German fessel "fetter, chain," Old Norse fetill "strap, brace"), from PIE *ped- (2) "container" (see vat). Related: Fettler; fettling.

I wasn't entirely satisfied with this entry (what does a vat have to do with a fettle, anyway?)... But luckily, World Wide Words tackled the entire phrase fine fettle:

These days, you’re indeed likely only to hear fettle when it’s shackled to fine to make a set phrase. It’s a fossil, left over from a time when the word was better known. The repeated initial letter undoubtedly helped stick them together, which is why you only rarely (if ever) hear of something in good fettle or bad fettle or the like...
[Fettle] was most typically used as a verb meaning to put things in order, tidy up, arrange, or prepare... In northern English it can still have the sense of making or repairing something. In Australia, a fettler is a railway maintenance worker, responsible for keeping the line in good shape.  It’s also used in some manufacturing trades—in metal casting and pottery it describes the process of knocking the rough edges off a piece. But all of these are variants of the basic sense. So the noun refers to condition, order or shape, and fine fettle means to be in good order or condition.
Its origins are a bit obscure. It seems to come from the Old English fetel for a belt, so the verb probably first had the meaning of girding oneself up, as for a heavy task. It’s related to the German Fessel for a chain or band, but not to the confusingly similar fetter, which actually comes from the same root as foot.

 Now you know as much as I do.

Wishing you all a fine fettle of a week!

It will take some work before this fettler can claim to be in a fine fettle.
"Railroad construction worker straightening track; pile of twisted rails in background. 1862-63." Russell, Andrew J., photographer; United States. Army. Military Railway Service. [Public domain]

Wednesday's Random Slang-o-rama: Take a powder (AND News Flash!)

~~ NEWS FLASH!
This just in: A DYING NOTE is nominated for a "Lefty Award" in the Best Historical Mystery category (along with piles of other wonderful books). Winners will be announced at the Left Coast Crime mystery convention, in Vancouver, BC, late March. Click here for all Lefty nominations in all the categories.  END NEWS FLASH! ~~


 Now that the winter holidays are pretty much over, quite a few folks I know have decided to take a powder to warm spots south (Hawaii, Mexico!), icy/snowy climates north (Canada, Colorado, New York!) or other geographical vacation spots, all in the name of R&R. I can't say I blame them. In fact, I wish I could do the same.

However, since I am here and you are here (virtually speaking), let's take a closer look at take a powder. How did this phrase come to mean charging off at top speed?
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The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer suggests the following etymology:

This slangy idiom may be derived from the British dialect sense of powder as "a sudden hurry," a usage dating from about 1600. It may also allude to the explosive quality of gunpowder.

I'll admit that my first thought was that maybe it had to do with gunpowder, so I was please to see this pop up here. However, not so fast (so to speak!) because the Online Entymology Dictionary has this to say:

The phrase take a powder "scram, vanish," is from 1920; it was a common phrase as a doctor's instruction, so perhaps from the notion of taking a laxative medicine or a sleeping powder, with the result that one has to leave in a hurry (or, on another guess, from a magician's magical powder, which made things disappear).

 Whoa! I never thought of the laxative angle. Checking American Slang, 2nd Edition, by Robert L. Chapman/Barbara Ann Kipfer also mentions the magical powder connection, noting that this use of take a powder had appeared by 1688 (which pre-dates 1920 by quite a bit!).

So, whether you decide to take a powder or stay put, here's hoping the first month of the new year gives you some time for your own version of R&R, along with the inevitable return to  routine. 

"I think a quick trip to Hawaii might be nice right about now, don't you?
[Flucht eleganter Reiter vor dem Kampfgeschehen by Alexander von Bensa, Public domain]

Wednesday's Random slang-o-rama: Jacket (--not what you think!--) and Left Coast Crime

Today's slang may look like an ordinary, run-of-the-mill word, but you might be surprised! In this case, it appears as an adjective. I'll give you the tick of a clock to think about it. (Hint: consider the properties of a wearable jacket of the routine variety.)

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Okay! Here we go! I confess this was a strange one to me, but this is what Americanisms, Old and New has to say:

Jacket—"He proceeded home by a jacket way," is a peculiar usage and essentially American, the meaning being that the road is round-about. It is difficult to imagine what connection there is in this case between the word and the idea conveyed by it, except it be that a jacket surrounds or goes about the body, the transition being then little more than a hop, step, and a jump.

Seems to me that Americanisms provides a jacket definition of the term! ;-)
... Speaking of taking to the road, I am on my way to Reno, Nevada, for the annual Left Coast Crime convention! I'll be in a couple of panels and also reading from A Dying Note. Here's where you can find me and when:

• Thursday, 9 a.m. -  Speed Dating with buddy Janet Finsilver  — Nugget 1
• Friday, 3:20 p.m. – Reading from A Dying Note (6^th book in the Silver Rush Series, which should be available at LCC!) … Attendees will receive chocolate and my undying gratitude for showing up! — Cascade 3-5
• Saturday, 1:30 p.m. - Moderating “I’ve Got the World on a String: Setting as Character” with panelists John Billheimer, Baron R. Birtcher, Christine Carbo, and Robert D. Kidera — Sierra 4
• Sunday, 9 a.m. – Panelist on “You Are My Sunshine: The Great Outdoors” moderated by Pamela Beason and with authors Judy Copek, Margaret Mizushima, and Mark Stevens — Sierra 2

And a-wandering he goes, in a jacket and by a jacket way. (Der Wanderer im Schwarzwald by Hans Thoma, 1891)

Mercury's Rise wins Bruce Alexander Award...

Mercury's Rise, the fourth in my Silver Rush mystery series, received the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award at Left Coast Crime in Sacramento, California, March 31, 2012. The award is for "the best historical (events prior to 1950) mystery published during the previous year."
Other winners in past years include Jacqueline Winspear, Rebecca Cantrell, Kelli Stanley, Tony Broadbent, Sharan Newman, and Rhys Bowen. Wonderful writers, all, and I'm honored to be among the recipients of the award.
So who, you might ask, is Bruce Alexander? You can read about him here in an interview with January Magazine, republished in an "In Memoriam" article.