Chicano / Chicanery

March 3rd, 2011 by admin

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Posted in columns, February 2011 | 2 comments

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2 comments on this post.

  1. Wm Watkins:

    May 9th, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    A long-time reader, I have not forgotten your advice to distrust word origins provided by tour guides. Recently a tour guide in Florida said that Spanish Moss (the fluffy stuff hanging from many trees in the American deep south) was so named by native Americans because it resembled the long beards worn by newly arrived Spanish soldiers.

    I had previously heard that the prevalent moss was given the name because, at the time, the deep south (especially Florida) was known as “New Spain,” much as the northeast was known as “New England”. (I also suspect that the natives had a word for the ubiquitous stuff long before the arrival of the Spanish.) Is either correct, or is there another explanation?

  2. Gene:

    August 18th, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    I’m disappointed there is no entry for “chicane” as this is a term commonly used in auto racing, especially sport car racing.

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