I've come across some advertising information for the "Rolex Fastnet Race", a yachting event that takes place in the UK. Its subtitle reads "Professionals and Corinthians compete in 608-mile battle of wits and stamina." The word "Corinthians" in this context stumped me completely, so I looked it up. My OED lists the usual Corinth-related entries, and then these:
2. A wealthy man; a profligate idler; a licentious man; a brazen-faced man.
3. A man about town.
4. A wealthy amateur of sport.
This last is probably the usage that is given to "Corinthians" in the advertising info I have, but I'm curious as to how the ancient Corinthians have come to be associated with sport. Any ideas, AWADers?
Also, I find it interesting that there should be a word to denote "wealthy amateurs" as opposed to plain old ones... never mind that an amateur yacht racer is not likely to be very poor...
That is very interesting. São Paulo's biggest professional soccer (football) team is the Corinthians (yes, spelled in English).
Thanks, sjmaxq! I didn't read through the whole page, but I got the gist of it, so that's now cleared up in my mind.
A friend of mine has a column about that. Actually a pretty tall tale.
> a pretty tall tale
Shouldn't that be CApitalised?
A baseless set of jokes. Leaf off, wouldja? Acanth stand any more.
Sorry. I get carried away by old movies like Acropolis Now. Have you seen it, it's marblous? Ionic couple of versions of it.
I think that the point here may have been missed. "Corinthian" in this sense, used within an English context, refers to a particular "set" of athletic, wealthy and perpetually bored members of the gentry during the Regency Period - the definitions at the top hail from that period. They liked to congregate at venues like Jackson's Boxing Saloon to try to "place a flush hit" on the master. They fenced. They raced curricles (or perch phaetons) from London to Brighton and back. They dressed in a very subdued style (to set themselves apart from the ostentatious dandy set, one of whom was the Prince Regent). Their model was Beau Brummell until he fell from grace.
They did assume the name "Corinthian" because the ancient Greek model appealed to them, but about there the resemblance ended ...
It's very unusual to see it used in a modern context. So few people would understand the reference!
So few people would understand the reference!
I've noticed Cap, that the sports industry does a bang-up job of introducing new words into the general population's vocabulary. The sport's entheusiasts pick it up, then they use it, and others pick it up, until it becomes a commonly understood word.
I can't think of specific examples at this time - my new puppies woke me up to pee a total of five times last night so I'm a tad tired - but I'm sure folks here will have some examples.
So few people would understand the reference!
Unless they are fans of Regency romances!
This is by comparison to the Corinthians of the New Testament? (Never having read it.)
The new testament reference is to a letter Paul sent to the congregation at Corinth.
Two kiloyears ago, sailers preferred to hug the coast rather than take to the open sea. The shore provided shelter from storms. Besides, the GPS of the day only used one satellite, and it wasn't available but about 12 hours daily. Being considerably shorter to pass through the straits near Corinth than to go around the southern part of Greece, Corinth had a rather strategic location.
It's lonely when you're away from your wife, so sailors tend to have a girl in every port. Since all sailors had Corinth as a port, the Corinthians were very worldly and very wealthy.
Think of the Corinthians as being the Playboy Club of its time. Decades ago, when Playboy had clubs and I was reading their magazine regularly, they had many articles on the good life - fine wine, fine clothes, fine jewelry, and fine stereos. Oh, and nekkid wimmens, too.
Paul's advisory letter to the Corinthians suggested that perhaps it was not wise to be so enthusiastic about loving thy neighbor, no matter what Jesus said. Oh, and don't play your stereo so loud, and use soda water to get out the stain if you spill some of that water turned into wine.
Unless you believe that the piano player in the whorehouse didn't know what was happening in the back rooms, you will find a connection between Paul's letter to the Corinthians and these gentlemen calling themselves Corinthians.
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Words fail me. (Turnabout is fair play.)
Unless they are fans of Regency romances!
Indeed ...