snol·ly·gos·ter
NOUN:
Slang
- One, especially a politician, who is guided by personal advantage rather than by consistent, respectable principles.
ETYMOLOGY:
Perhaps alteration of snallygaster, a mythical beast said to prey on poultry and children, perhaps from Pennsylvania Dutch schnelle geeschter : Middle High German snel, quick (from Old High German) + Middle High German geist, spirit (from Old High German)
Source: Yahoo Dictionary
Can it just be serendipity that this word turns up when I'm thinking about the utter hopelessness of trusting the political process to fix anything in this country? Or is there some hidden hand at work?
3 comments:
2 on-line dictionaries
goster: (Northern English dialect)
to laugh uncontrollably, or to gossip.
"A Warwickshire Word Book"
goster: to brag, to swagger, to boast (Midlands, and elsewhere).
(Staffordshire) to bray.
It is also used as a noun, and the adjective is "gostering"
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The braying like an ass seems to head us in the right direction. I sense it might have meant "a knee-slapper" as well as an arrogant political type.
I don't get "goster" from "geist" since English already has "ghost" and it is enshrined, as it were, as "the Holy Ghost" in the liturgy, so having another form is a bit odd.
Lastly, if we look at schnell (fast) and Geist (spirit) a bit, we get a funny feeling that finally resolves itself into:
"For the Dead travel Fast" or "Denn die Todten reiten schnell" which is a quote from Stoker's "Dracula". If there is a parallel between politicians and the undead vampires, it may be very apt.
I like your analysis. According to the OED, the word is of American origin. 19th century. It speculates connection with "snallygaster" a mythical monster which derives more understandably from "schnelle Geister." So we have a connection with something horrible and frightening. All very apt.
Here's what the OED says:
snollygoster, n.
Pronunciation: /ˈsnɒlɪgɒstə(r)/
Etymology: Perhaps connected with SNALLYGASTER n., which is, however, of more recent appearance.
U.S. dial. and slang.
A shrewd, unprincipled person, esp. a politician. Also in other more or less fanciful uses.
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snallygaster, n.
Pronunciation: /ˈsnælɪgɑːstə(r)/ /-gæs-/
Etymology: < German schnelle geister, lit. ‘quick spirits’.
U.S. dial.
A mythical monster supposedly found in Maryland. Cf. SNOLLYGOSTER n.
Very cool.
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