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RARA-AVIS: Re: Hardboiled slang
In response to Bill's question about slang, I suspect his tentative answer -
that there was cross-pollination between writers and gangsters, is
reasonably plausible. Certainly a parallel case is that of science fiction -
"cyberspace" began in William Gibson's fiction and took over the real world.
A couple of 'caveat lectors', however:
1. To what extent to gangsters read crime fiction? (Indeed, to what extent
to they read?)
2. While some of the novels are contemporaneous, many were written later
than the times they depict.
3. The medium of transmission of slang from writers to gangsters may have
been a third or forth party - we know journalists read crime fiction, then
write newspaper reports: and presumably gangsters follow their own press....
But basically, if you read a cool saying, and liked it, wouldn't you adopt it?
Regards,
David
___________________________________________________
David R Geelan, Science & Maths Ed Centre,Curtin Uni of Tech
GPO U1987, Perth 6001, ph +619 351 3594, fax +619 351 2503.
Home page: http://student.curtin.edu.au/~pgeelandr/bravus.htm
"the boundaries of reality are in fact movable" - Jurgen Habermas
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