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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Blame Solon #103511 05/19/03 03:42 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley OP Carpal Tunnel OP Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta According to Plutarch, it was Solon who invented political euphemism. Now later writers observe that the ancient Athenians used to cover up the ugliness of things with auspicious and kindly terms, giving them polite and endearing names. Thus they called harlots "companions," taxes "contributions," the garrison of a city its "guard," and the prison a "chamber." But Solon was the first, it would seem, to use this device, when he called his cancelling of debts a "disburdenment." See http://makeashorterlink.com/?K2EB52D94. Not actually the translation I'm reading, but it links to the Greek text if you want to compare the various terms. Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Blame Solon #103512 05/20/03 01:55 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky I see they got into creative accounting, too: For he made the mina to consist of a hundred drachmas, which before has contained only seventy-three, so that by paying the same amount of money, but money of a lesser value, those who had debts to discharge were greatly benefited, and those who accepted such payments were no losers. Um--I take it that Solon was a person? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Blame Solon #103513 05/20/03 02:32 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta B Bingley OP Carpal Tunnel OP Bingley Carpal Tunnel B Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Yep. Respected by the ancient Athenians as a lawgiver whose constitutional system made the Athenian democracy possible. For a brief intro. to his life and times, see http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa010201a.htm Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Blame Solon #103514 05/20/03 04:22 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 6,511 lower upstate New York And his name is eponymically used for lawmakers today. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Blame Solon #103515 05/21/03 01:46 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky his name is eponymically used for lawmakers today Oh? Do people say, "Solon--and thanks for all the fish"? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,913 Posts229,372 Members9,182 Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011 Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV 9,182 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 members (), 381 guests, and 1 robot. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 28 A C Bowden 25 LukeJavan8 3 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 10,561 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,919 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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