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Shit: The word "shit" did not originate as an acronym for "Ship High in Transit", a label falsely said to have been used on shipments of manure to prevent them from becoming waterlogged and releasing explosive methane gas. [8] [12] The word comes from Old English scitte, and is of Proto-Germanic origin. [13] [14]
A false etymology (fake etymology or pseudo-etymology) is a false theory about the origin or derivation of a specific word or phrase. When a false etymology becomes a popular belief in a cultural/linguistic community, it is a folk etymology (or popular etymology ). [ 1 ]
Fred L. Worth, the author of The Trivia Encyclopedia, placed deliberately false information about the first name of TV detective Columbo for copy-trap purposes. He later sued the creators of Trivial Pursuit, as they had based some of their questions and answers on entries found in the work. The suit was unsuccessful, as the makers of Trivial ...
An etymological fallacy becomes possible when a word's meaning shifts over time from its original meaning. Such changes can include a narrowing or widening of scope or a change of connotation (amelioration or pejoration). In some cases, modern usage can shift to the point where the new meaning has no evident connection to its etymon.
The genetic fallacy (also known as the fallacy of origins or fallacy of virtue) [1] is a fallacy of irrelevance in which arguments or information are dismissed or validated based solely on their source of origin rather than their content. In other words, a claim is ignored or given credibility based on its source rather than the claim itself.
Real or imaginary, one thing's for sure, werewolves are likely here to stay. "We’re never gonna stop telling werewolf tales," Wood says. "It’s just a part of us.
English scholar and theologian Richard Whately (1787–1863) defines a fallacy broadly as, "any argument, or apparent argument, which professes to be decisive of the matter at hand, while in reality it is not". [18]: 8 Whately divided fallacies into two groups: logical and material. According to Whately, logical fallacies are arguments where ...
Spanish scientists said they will reveal details of the nationality of 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus on Saturday, after using DNA analysis to tackle a centuries-old mystery. Countries ...