Today’s linguistic trivia: According to the “NB” column in the Times Literary Supplement (in the May 24th issue, not available online), the phrase “I don’t give a damn” ought to be “I don’t give a dam.” The dam is an Indian copper coin with the value of one-fortieth of a rupee. This certainly makes more sense.
The writer (“J.C.”) has taken this from Hobson-Jobson , a book published in 1886 which claimed to be the “definitive glossary of British India.” Other now common words of Indian or British-Indian origin are toddy, gingham, verandah, chatting, gymkhana, loot, bungalow, pagaoda, typhoon, chintz, jungle, dinghy, and cutter.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Moral Certitude and the Iran War
The current military engagement with Iran calls renewed attention to just war theory in the Catholic tradition.…
The Slow Death of England: New and Notable Books
The fate of England is much in the news as popular resistance to mass immigration grows, limits…
Ethics of Rhetoric in Times of War
What we say matters. And the way we say it matters. This is especially true in times…
