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We all are familiar with Webster's Dictionary, and associate Daniel Webster with the first edition of an American English dictionary. Many of us are also familiar with the story of Daniel Webster and the Devil (which, for you opera lovers, is also quite a good American opera). But ol' Daniel has given his name to other things as well, albeit unwittingly.
For example, there is the Webster fly, a large black fly, great numbers of which were in Daniel's neighborhood after he used menhaden to fertilize his farm. Needless to say, this use was local and is now obsolete.
However, Daniel also gave his name to Websterism, a now obsolete term, that in its heyday was a compliment or a sarcasm, depending on the speaker and the use. It meant profund, impressive, suggestive of Daniel Webster. For example, it was written in the Southern Literary Messenger (1856), "He felt within him in embryo Websterian thoughts." In 1883, Century Magazine, wrote "He was dressed in an ill-cut black Websterian coat." and in 1874, B.F. Taylor ("World on Wheels") wrote: "Websterian probabilities says that it is not the derivation of 'scale' at all."
Do you know of any other Websterianisms? If so, let us know. Send Americanisms an e-mail.
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