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The E-Sylum: Volume 3, Number 20, May 14, 2000, Article 7THE JOSH TO END ALL JOSHINGGreg Heim writes: "There is a site called alt.usage.english.FAQ. I e-mailed someone about this when I read the supposed origin in Money Talks. It sounded a little glorified and they told me that they were almost certain the origin of the word predated the 1880's, but never got back to me with any more information. I am glad to see that someone else dug a little deeper." Bob Van Ryzin of Krause Publications writes: "Thought you might be interested in the following from my 1995 book "Twisted Tails." It was provided by Eric von Klinger who used to work here. "Another favorite story among numismatists is that the popular phrase of disbelief "you're joshing" originated with Josh Tatum and his passing of plated $5 gold coins. Sorry, as writer Eric von Klinger pointed out, its origin dates to much earlier. "The American Thesaurus of Slang, for example, notes of 'josh': 'To banter, 'kid' (U.S.-1845). Origin obscure. The earliness of the usage rules out the supposition that it derives from 'Josh Billings,' who had not yet gained a reputation as a humorist.'" Oh well. The story of Josh, as well as the Billings quotes, were entertaining while they lasted. As at least one NBS Board member can attest, I thought immediately of Bob's book when the subject first came up, I just couldn't put my hands on it in my newly reorganized library. Shame on me - I cleaned things up a little too well... Wayne Homren, EditorContent presented in The E-Sylum is not necessarily researched or independently fact-checked, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society. This is a static archive page documenting the originally published content. Links were active at the time of publication but may no longer work. Check subsequent issues for corrections and commentary. The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. For more information please see our web site at http://www.coinbooks.org/ There is a membership application available on the web site. To join, print the application and return it with your check to the address printed on the application. Visit the Membership page. Those wishing to become new E-Sylum subscribers (or wishing to Unsubscribe) can go to the following web page link. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: E-Sylum Editor Copyright © 1998 - 2020 The Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS) |
