Humbug Definition

Humbug Definition Humbug was a word used the 19th century to mean a trick played upon unsuspecting people. The word lives on in the English language today thanks largely to two notable figures, Charles Dickens and Phineas T. Barnum. Dickens famously made â€Å"Bah, humbug!† the trademark phrase of an unforgettable character, Ebenezer Scrooge. And the great showman Barnum took delight in being known as the â€Å"Prince of Humbugs.† Barnum’s fondness for the word indicates an important characteristic of humbug. It isn’t just that a humbug is something false or deceptive, it is also, in its purest form, highly entertaining. The numerous hoaxes and exaggerations which Barnum exhibited during his long career were termed humbugs but calling them that indicated a sense of playfulness. Origin of Humbug as a Word The word humbug seems to have been coined sometime in the 1700s. Its roots are obscure, but it caught on as slang among students. The word began appearing in dictionaries, such as in the 1798 edition of A Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue edited by Francis Grose: To Hum, or Humbug. To deceive, to impose on one by some story or device. A humbug; a jocular imposition, or deception. When Noah Webster published his landmark dictionary in 1828, humbug was again defined as an imposition. Humbug as Used by Barnum The popular use of the word in America was largely due to Phineas T. Barnum. Early in his career, when he exhibited obvious frauds such as Joice Heth, a woman said to be 161 years old, he was denounced for perpetrating humbugs. Barnum essentially adopted the term and defiantly chose to consider it a term of affection. He began to call some of his own attractions humbugs, and the public took it as good-natured kidding. It should be noted that Barnum despised people like con men or snake oil salesmen who actively cheated the public. He eventually wrote a book titled The Humbugs of the World which criticized them. But in his own usage of the term, a humbug was a playful hoax that was highly entertaining. And the public seemed to agree, returning time and again to view whatever humbug Barnum might be exhibiting. Humbug as Used by Dickens In the classic novella, ​A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge uttered â€Å"Bah, humbug!† when reminded of Christmas. To Scrooge, the word meant a folly, something too silly for him to spend time on. In the course of the story, however, Scrooge receives visits from the ghosts of Christmas, learns the true meaning of the holiday, and ceases to regard celebrations of Christmas as humbug.

Defensive versus Offensive Realism Research Paper

Defensive versus Offensive Realism - Research Paper Example The main differences between offensive and defensive realism are based on variations on how they see power and how much power is enough. Defensive realism sees power as a means of attaining stability or security, while offensive realism sees power as both means and ends for political stability. Defensive realism says that states only engage in war to defend the security and stability of their power, while offensive realism asserts that states want more power per se because a state ultimately desires to be the hegemon in the system. Furthermore, offensive realism advocates offensive strategies, instead of restraint that defensive realism recommends, because only the strongest state can be secure. In addition, defensive realism asserts that, though the international system offers incentives for increasing power, strong nations should not pursue hegemony. Instead, Kenneth Waltz stressed that states should only strive for an â€Å"appropriate amount of power.† States can also do b alancing of power to preserve security, such as increasing military resources in reaction to another state that does the same. Despite balancing actions, defensive realism insists that states should only desire sufficient power for its security and stability. Offensive realism argues that balancing power is not efficient in gaining or preserving power; states should start or engage in wars to balance power proactively. John Mearsheimer further asserted that states could aspire for regional hegemony and not global hegemony.

Shakespeare-How would Machiavelli (or a Machiavellian) understand the Essay

Shakespeare-How would Machiavelli (or a Machiavellian) understand the character of Volumnia in Coriolanus Would he approve or disapprove of her behavior in the play Why - Essay Example The philosophy of Machiavelli has a great deal to day about deception and its use in politics. He thinks that in order to maintain power rulers have to use deception and force to move everyone in the direction they want. In this essay we will close read the play using Machiavelli and will try to answer the question whether Machiavelli would approve of Volumnia’s behavior in the play or not. This is the question we will attempt to answer. The play starts in Rome where there are riots going on because Coriolanus, the deputy of commander of the Roman army has hold grains from ordinary citizens. Coriolanus is a man who believes that ordinary people should not be given grain because they are not taking part in the military service. He is a great fighter but he has contempt for the common people. His attitude towards common people is that of an arrogant soldier. The character of Volumnia now plays an active role to make her son consul. She persuades Coriolanus to run for consul even though her son is not willing to do so. But when he couldn’t win the support of the commoners he became angry and talks badly about the plebeians. He is in turn condemned as a traitor and banished from Rome. After his exile he goes to his fierce enemy Aufidius, the commander of the Volscian army. They accept him and allow Coriolanus to lead an attack on Rome. All generals of Rome become worried and try to persuade him not to attack Rome. After all efforts are gone in vain Volumnia is sent to dissuade her son from attacking Rome. She is successful and Coriolanus spares Rome but later is killed by Aufidius for conspiracy. Volumnia is an important character of the play. She plays a great role in changing the mind of her son twice in the play and both times the outcome is in her benefit. She portrays role of a women who cannot seek power personally but tries to attain power by making her son powerful. She tried to gain power and popularity through her son Coriolanus

Effects of Alcoholism Essay Example for Free

Effects of Alcoholism Essay I never thought drinking alcohol could destroy all I had worked for. Sure, I have had my share of hangovers. However, to think I was hurting myself or others never came to mind. I had a great job and really liked the people I worked with. I worked hard and played harder. Going out with my friends and drinking was a major part of my social life. The thought of calling a cab or getting a ride was not a congenital thought. It would take a head on car crash with another vehicle to change my life forever. When I was about seven years old, my dad had a few of his friends over to watch a football game. I took one of the beers when no one was looking and went into the garage. I opened it and took a big gulp. I spit it out and thought, â€Å"This stuff tastes terrible, how can anyone drink this and like it†? It took until I was in my teens to try beer again. I was with my two best friends and one of them had stolen a six-pack of beer from his dad. We each took a can and opened it. I remember taking my first sip and thinking it was warm. I did not like it, but I was not going to let my friends know that. Therefore, we each drank the first can. I could feel a warm glow permeate my body. When we drank the second can, I felt high and became intoxicated. From that moment on, I drank for the effect not the taste. After I got my driver’s license, my friends and I would go to the bars and drink. When it was time to go I would get in my car and drive home. This went on for years. I always thought I could handle my liquor. When my friends would be pulled over and get a D.  U. I. , I thought they were lightweights and could not hold their liquor. As I grew older, I began to work in the hospitality industry of nightclubs and restaurants. I really enjoyed what I did and was good at it. During this time, I would always have a drink or two at closing time. After we closed, I would get a cocktail for the road. This went on for years. As the years progressed so did my consumption of alcohol. I grew tired of the hospitality industry and changed jobs. I started work in the heavy construction industry. I became close friends with a group of people I worked with. We would meet after work at a bar or restaurant and have some drinks. When it was time to go, I would get a drink for the road. This habit continued until one day I was going to my best friend and his wife’s log home they were building on some land in Northeast Missouri. They were having a house warming and Fourth of July party. They were going to have a huge barbeque with all their neighbors and some friends followed by a giant fireworks display. I began my day to leave for the party by going to work. I had a very strenuous day without any breaks. When I got home, a friend shows up and we have a couple of drinks. I pack my car and said goodbye to my friend. I made a drink for the road and headed out. I do not remember a thing after that. I came to in a hospital. The nurse said I was in an accident and I was hurt very bad. She said I had been in a car accident and that I had a head on collision with another vehicle. She explained that I was in a coma for fifteen days. That I had a broken pelvis, hip, ribs, knee cap and collapsed lung. When the doctor came by to see me, he informed me I had some brain damage and that I would probably not walk again. My brother was there and explained to me what the police had told him. He said that I had crossed the centerline of the highway and hit a car head on. The other car had a mother with her four young children. Thank God they were not seriously injured and did not require a hospital stay. Once the hospital lowered my condition to stable, the Missouri Highway Patrol came and took me to jail. I was charged with five counts of second-degree assault and one count of possession of a firearm while intoxicated. All of these charges are felonies. I was tried, convicted, and was sentenced to twelve years in prison. I served four months in a prison treatment facility and I was released on parole with five years probation. I lost my job. I lost my life’s savings. I lost my car. I am crippled and cannot work. What drinking and driving has cost me is being paid with every step I take and the thought of what I could have done to that family.

Violence on College Campuses Essay -- essays research papers

On college campuses today, there is a lot of violence. Violence occurs for many reasons, its unfortunate but true. One of the main reasons that violence accurs is because 90 percent of violence on college campuses is alcohol related. That is one of the many reasons why violence occurs. There have been reports of increased violence on U.S. college campuses since the early 1980s. Alcohol-related problems have included vandalism, fighting, injuries, and rape. However, as in the past, crime on campuses frequently was not reported to authorities or not divulged by institutions. Therefore, it is difficult to know if there has been an increase in incidences or just increased reporting. Roark (1987: 367) has suggested that "although comparative data from previous years are difficult to obtain, it seems to many student affairs professionals that there is an increase in violence on campuses." One study reported that residence hall advisors mediated more physical confrontations between students in the mid-1980s compared to previous years. College campuses are communities populated with individuals at high risk for unintentional and violent injury, the vast majority of whom are single and experiencing freedom from home and parental supervision for the first time. Des pite broad-based concern about violence on campus, accurate information about the scope and nature of this problem is hard to come by. Nevertheless, there is general agreement that since the 1960s crime and vio...

Impressions of what life was like for the colonists Essay

Life in the new world for the colonists was like nothing that individuals in today’s society can understand. After taking the Would You Have Survived the Colony quiz on the website, it is easy to see that surviving the colonial atmosphere might have been one of the most difficult tasks on earth. This is because of the differences in culture, in food, in work load, and with other important aspects of life that would take an awful lot of adjusting. When the Europeans came across the pond to colonize America, they had a lot of adjusting to do, as well. The first way that they had to adjust to the new world was with the environmental changes. Life in America was rough because of all of the elements. Europe was a flat area with a lot of rain and average weather. When they came to America, they had to put up with mountains, with rivers, and with lots of other elements. There was also the animals that they had to adjust to. Because the United States was just being colonized and modernized, lots of wild animals were running around where people were living. Among them were predators like bears and big cats. When people went out to find food or to cut wood, they had to put up with this nuisance. This was how life was so difficult and it was something that people of today’s culture would struggle with. When taking that quiz, I thought about the clothes that people would wear if they had to go back to that time. I like to be in nice clothes. Though I do not have to have the latest in fashion, I do like to keep up with the times. Back then, the clothes had to last a long time and they had to be able to stand up to the elements. People had to track through the woods, so the clothes had to be able to put up with that challenge. Since there was no air conditioning or heating at the time, the clothes also had to be much more of an insulator in the difficult times. This would be a difficult adjustment for someone like myself if I were to go back in time. The last and most important thing is the overall work ethic and lifestyle that would have to be employed. Every time those people wanted something, they had to work hard for it. If they wanted a fire, they had to cut down some wood and start the fire. If they wanted to eat something, they had to go kill it and cook it. There were no fast food restaurants to go grab food at. Today, people go to work in order to make money to buy nice things. Those people had to go to work in order to keep themselves and their families alive. That was in addition to actually protecting themselves from the elements and the things in the environment that were so difficult. Overall, life in the colonial period was difficult and it would definitely be an adjustment for anyone who had to go back in time and face it. The differences in the economy and with the environment are so profound that people had to go through a whole lot each and every day. The main difference is that there were no days off if you felt bad or simply needed some rest.

Metaphors Metaphors And Mental Health - 1706 Words

Jennifer Marchese Metaphors in Science Metaphors and Mental Health In today s day and age, while we have made tremendous strides in our understanding of mental disorders in the medical community, society seems to have slowed in our progress of being understanding, and the usage of derogatory language regarding mental health issues. Oh yeah, that one s nuttier than a pecan farm, was heard by this author recently at a restaurant. Even casual conversations are sprinkled with phrases like, â€Å"that s crazy!† or â€Å"that s insane!† But what effects does such terminology have on those around us? Can what we casually toss around in conversation truly affect those who may be privately battling these conditions? Such language is used in various situations, whether casual or serious. In example, during recent events such as the Boston Marathon bombing, the Sandy Hook shooting, many exclaimed that the perpetrators should be locked up, without thought to whether that meant a prison or a psychiatric facility. Are convicted criminals, the insane and the â€Å"criminally insane† all viewed equally in the public eye? Should they then be viewed equally under the eyes of the law as well? The most innocuous conversations, ranging from food to weather, are liberally seasoned with at least one derogatory reference to mental illness. It is ironic, of course— as very rarely do the subjects of this conversation actually have a mental illness. Yet, when 1 in 4 Americans will experience mental illnessShow MoreRelatedThe And The Modern Education System1749 Words   |  7 Pagesphysical experience that develops the body and the mental capacity to understand other people. The lack of play can result in self-centered students. 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