Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Can someone tell me the origin of the phrase "I Call Shenaningans"?

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » The DU Lounge Donate to DU
 
mac56 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 03:07 PM
Original message
Can someone tell me the origin of the phrase "I Call Shenaningans"?
I'm familiar with "I call bullshit," and I assume they're somehow related.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
Orangepeel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Feb-25-06 03:18 PM
Response to Original message
1. shenanigans means tricks
So someone could "call" it the same way they call "bullshit" or "liar" or anything else.

Here's one discussion of possible origins of the word:

http://www.takeourword.com/et_q-s.html#shen

Is shenanigans from Irish shee nanna gasne or from French for `I dunno'?

One source doesn't even mention a possible Irish origin, but instead, it indicates that Spanish chanada (a short form of charranada `trick, deceit') is a likely origin. William and Mary Morris (see the bibliography) note that shenanigans could comes from Irish sionnachuighim `I play the fox.' But both the sources mention German dialectic schinageln `to work at hard labor' as a possible origin for shenanigans. Apparently, the implication is `using trickery to avoid hard labor.'

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Fri Apr 26th 2024, 09:10 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » The DU Lounge Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC