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August 31, 2003Eponyms GaloreStop the press! Re-plate for Dagwood Bumstead's favorite sandwich recipe. While searching a bulging file of eponyms, I discovered his secret -- next in importance to the formula for splitting atoms. It is verified by King Features Syndicate which distributes the popular comic strip "Blondie" to the "Sun" and thousands of other newspapers. Dagwood's appetite for, and skill in constructing, sandwich masterpieces has been a subject of delight and awe for 73 years. An eponym, of course, is the name of a person from whom is taken the name of a common object or understanding. We classify these transformations as "slang." For example, we refer to a giant sandwich as a "dagwood." Thus, we have a unique "double eponym" - two individuals for one meaning. The word "Sandwich" originally referred to the English seaport and meant "sandy place." It became attached to a concoction of bread, meat and vegetables in a roundabout way. Sir John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, was born in 1719. He served with distinction in the Royal Navy and was First Lord of the Admiralty when the American colonies defied the British in the War For Independence 1776-82. The Earl is widely credited with inventing the snack of meat and bread in order to eat with out interruption while gaming at cards. He did like to gamble, but he certainly did not eat sturdy food while doing so. According to contemporary biographers, Montagu suffered a serious stomach wound at age 17 in his first naval battle. For the rest of his life, he ate only soft foods and liquids. A repast of salted beef and bread was common for seamen in those days. It is possible Montagu became widely associated with a practice he observed while on a mission in France. There, landowners were required by law to furnish a mid-day lunch for their workers. This usually consisted of meat and a vegetable between slices of bread that could be consumed quickly. The efficiency of this meal - similar to that of the British navy except for the addition of a vegetable - led the Earl of Sandwich to adopt the system for his own indentured farm workers. Soon, other landed gentry followed suit. Today, the Earl of Sandwich competes with Dagwood Bumstead for gastronomical honor. Here is the latter's official recipe: DAGWOOD DELIGHT
ARRANGE ARTISTICALLY SERVES ONE Hang 'Em HighIn honor of our publisher (see writer of first column of Our Town section), I reprint the eponym carried in the "Punta Gorda Herald" of July 1913 by publisher Adrian Pettus Jordan: * * *
* * *There also is reference to the Derrick history in a popular song during England's two Civil Wars 1639-51 between the kings and parliament. The ditty was titled "Prattle Your Pleasure Under the Rose." The red rose was the heraldic symbol of the royal House of Tudor -- Charles and Charles II. Following is a typical verse:
No reflection on newspaper publishers, dead or living, of course.
MaverickWe often refer to anyone who "exhibits great independence in thought and action -- irregular, rebel, unorthodox" as a maverick. Your writer sometimes is unjustly so termed. The eponymic inspiration is Samuel Augustus Maverick, an early lawyer, politician and firebrand. He ran for the South Carolina legislature in 1830, but his anti-secession views contributed to his defeat. He settled temporarily in Georgia and Alabama before moving to Texas, Mexico, in 1835 to take up cheap land. According to the Texas State Historical Association, Maverick arrived at the Mexican-held town of San Antonio shortly before the siege by resident Americans of San Antonio de Bexar - the Mexican military garrison near by. During that siege, Maverick was guide to one division of Volunteers that helped drive away the Mexican army. After the siege of December 1835, Americans -- including Maverick and Davy Crockett -- fortified an old Catholic mission building (not a church) on the outskirts of San Antonio. It was called the Alamo for an adjacent cottonwood tree. Formerly it had been working quarters for priests -- later occupied by Spanish and then Mexican military. In early February, Maverick was elected one of two delegates from the Alamo garrison to an Independence Convention scheduled for March 1, 1836, at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Mexican Gen. Santa Anna counter-attacked with a large army on Feb. 26 and laid siege to the Alamo. Nevertheless, he and his fellow delegate slipped out of the Alamo in darkness on March l and arrived at the convention March 5. The Alamo fell the next day, but the convention continued. It declared independence from Mexico and establishing the independent Republic of Texas. Seriously ill, Maverick returned to Alabama about the time of Sam Houston's victory at San Jacinto in April 1836 assuring Texas independence. Maverick married, fathered a son and straightened out family plantation matters. He returned to Texas in 1838 with his family and a retinue of slaves to begin speculating in land and raising cattle. He was elected to various political offices -- including several terms as a representative to the Republic of Texas Congress. He was a strong advocate of annexation to the United States. Texas was annexed by the U.S. Congress on March l, 1845 - ninth anniversary of the Brazos conference -- with authority to divide itself into five states. Texans like being big and have kept it that way ever since. In the meantime, Maverick built a vast ranch of 140,000 acres. It and his reputation were so large he didn't bother to brand his cattle. Other ranchers of the area recognized unbranded cattle as "mavericks" not to be touched. When you've got it, flaunt it.
Author: Lindsey Williams
Cutlines 1 - LARGE -- Dagwood sandwich, use first panel of cartoon. Illustration courtesy King Features Syndicate [The name Dagwood (Bumstead) - for a popular comic strip character -- has become synonymous with giant sandwiches. Oooooooooooo 2 - MEDIUM size - portrait of Earl of Sandwich, colonial dress. Crop close top and bottom. Portrait courtesy National Library of Australia [ Sir John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, popularized the lunch of meat etc. between slices of bread, but did not invent it. ] ooooooooooo 3 - MEDIUM size - oil derrick Photo courtesy County of Santa Barbara, California [ Thousands of "derricks" throughout the world pump oil from drilled wells. Hoisting beams simplify many other tasks.] oooooooo 4 - MEDIUM size - photo of man with bow tie Photo courtesy Sons of Dewitt Colony Texas [ Sam Maverick helped found the Republic of Texas but did not bother to brand his cattle other ranchers called "mavericks."] oooooooo end ooooooo |