Derby The original derby is an annual horse race run at
Epsom Downs, England. The derby got its name from the title of its
founder, Edward Stanley, the twelfth Earl of Derby. He
established the race in 1780. Derby then became the term for a
number of horse races, usually restricted to three-year-olds. Today
it has come to mean any contest open to a specified category of
contestants.
In the United States in the 1880s the name derby for some
obscure reason was appled to a stiff felt hat with a dome-shaped
crown and narrow brim. Apparently, this type of hat was first made
in London by a hatter named Bowler. Thus, it becmae known
as a bowler hat in England. In the United Sates it is called
either a derby or a bowler.
Sandwich. Another earl who lent his title to our vocabulary was John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich in the 1700s. According to published accounts, the earl was an inveterate gambler who would spend many hours at the gaming tables. Rather than stop playing for his meals, he would order a slice of cold beef between two slices of bread to be eaten while he was still playing. That's how the sandwich was born.
Yarborough. Still another earl was also an avid card player. It was said that Charles Anderson Worsley, the second Earl of Yarborough would bet 1,000 to 1 against the dealing of a bridge hand containing no card higher than a nine. Since then this hand is called a yarborough. It is a bust hand with no honor cards. He could not risk making this wager too often because the odds against dealing such a hand are about 1800 to 1.
Bobby. An Englishman did not have to be an earl for his name
to pass into our lexicon. Sir Robert Peel organized the London police
force in 1832. From his nickname any London policeman came to be
called a bobby. Sir Robert also established the constabulary
in Ireland. For a time the Irish called their policeman a peeler,
among other names to be sure.
Boycott. In the nineteeenth century, an English land agent, Charles G. Boycott, transacted business in County Mayo, Ireland. When he refused to lower the rents for his tenants, they in turn declined to pay him any rent at all. Any refusal to have dealings with a person or organization under similar circumstances is called a boycott.
Donnybrook. This word has been applied to just about every kind of tumult, from international soccer matches to political conventions. For Irish political contests, the label is especially apt. Donnybrook, now a part of Dublin, was a suburb about a mile from the city's center.
In 1200, King John granted the citizens of Dublin a charter to hold an annual fair for raising funds for the upkeep of the city. For 650 years the fair was held in Donnybrook during the summer on a flat grassy area along the River Dodder. The fair featured horse trading and the selling of trinkets and food. Entertainment took the form of dancing to pipes and fiddles, and dramatic performances by strolling bands of players.
The fair became legendary for the large amount of liquor consumed and for the frequent eruption of brawling. The fighting often involved the wielding of shillelaghs. Witnesses, however, said it was "all in good fun", the scene was one of "genuine merriment and glee"!!!
Eventually, there arose campaigns against these drunken brawls which caused the fair's demise in 1855. By that time the name Donnybrook acquired an enduring place in the language.
June 2, 1996 Michael W. Paparella All Rights Reserved