Friday, April 19, 2013

Q is for Quack

I’ve had a hard time this week with my theme. I struggled with N, settled for an O, went with P, and now, I’ve searched for a Q slang that wasn’t a derogatory slam against a group of people.

I found one in an 19th century term. From a time when medicine was progressing and people looking for the miracle cures that science could provide, a class of con men erupted into society. Nobby men with carpet bags selling vials full of snake oil to an uneducated lower class desperate for quick and easy fixes to common problems.

Actually, I made most of that up. I think. I have a vague recollection from history about something like the above happening. Maybe I saw it in a movie…

I like calling people quacks. Of course, I don’t use it the way it originated. I use quack to mean a crazy person. Ashleigh, in an interesting turn of phrase, calls me a goose when I’m being silly and I wonder if she got that from me calling crazy people quacks. You know, geese quackquacks are crazy…geese then are crazy…goose=quack. There might be some kind of mathematical logical proof going on there.

Quack is a noun from the 1880s that describes a person who cheats people by claiming to have some kind of knowledge, especially medical knowledge.

Example: Quint quietly crept into the back of the crowd and listened Doc. Quillston praise the small bottle of clear liquid he held in his hand. What a quack, thought Quint, I bet it’s just flavored water he’s got!

This post has been brought to you by the Letter Q and the fine folks at Blogging A to Z. Check out more A to Z blogs here!

20 comments:

  1. Since I use "quack" for its original purpose, I feel old. Not, "born in the 19th century" old, but like I'm becoming my mom style old.

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    1. But that's okay, right? Becoming like your mom? Or being born in the 19th century because that would mean you're super old and possible immortal and divine.

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  2. I knew this one but yet it was good reading this post :)

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  3. It always makes me giggle when people use therm quack to describe a doctor. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I'm a goose...

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    1. I'm fairly sure I've never used it to describe a doctor, but crazy people are all quacks!

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  4. You have a really cool theme going on here! Learning a lot!

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  5. Thank you for the fun read!

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  6. Not a big math fan and its my worst subject, but that makes complete sense to me!

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    1. Me either but yeah, the progression seems sound to me!

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  7. I like to call crazy people 'crazy cuckoo birds' :) But I did have a quack once, and have now switched to an awesome doctor.

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    1. Cuckoo bird is one I've heard before, but never really used. It puts me in mind of Cocoa Puffs cereal!

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  8. I hadn't put together "silly goose" and "(crazy) quack" before.

    Check out my A to Z! Jen Hemming and Hawing Again

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    1. Honestly, I hadn't either until I started researching this theme. Makes sense though, right?

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  9. This word always makes me think of the Might Ducks movie... And I am not ashamed to Âü that I love that movie!

    Hugs!

    Valerie

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    1. It starred Emilio Estevez. How could you not love it?!?!

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  10. Great post, Ashleigh. Thanks

    Lol, Pickleope. I'm so with you there but I fear that I am that old...

    Visiting from A-Z

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