Shyster
Shyster /ˈʃaɪstər/ is a slang word for someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law, sometimes also politics or business.
Etymology
The etymology of the word is not generally agreed upon. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "of obscure origin", possibly deriving from a historical sense of "shy" meaning disreputable,[1] wheras the Merriam-Webster Dictionary deemed it probably based on the German Scheißer (literally "defecator"[2] but also used to refer to deceivers). Various false etymologies have suggested an anti-Semitic origin, possibly associated with the character of Shylock from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, but there is no clear evidence for this.[3] One source asserts that the term originated in Philadelphia in 1843 from a disreputable attorney named "Schuster."[4]
The Soviet nuclear missile R-5 Pobeda ("Victory") was given the NATO reporting name "Shyster."[5]
Cultural references
- Professional wrestler Mike Rotunda, using the ring name Irwin R. Schyster, portrayed a dishonest tax collector and accountant.
- Sylvester Shyster, a Walt Disney cartoon character introduced in 1930, is a disbarred attorney who schemes to deprive Minnie Mouse of her inheritance
- The 1932/33 radio show Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel, starring Groucho and Chico Marx, depicts the misadventures of a small law firm.
References
- ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989, retrieved from dictionary.oed.com.
- ↑ "Shyster". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ↑ Quinion, Michael (19 May 2007). "Shyster". World Wide Words. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- ↑ Karrass, Chester L. (1974). Give & Take. New York: Thomas Y Crowell. p. 194. ISBN 0-690-00566-0.
- ↑ Johnston's Archive - SOVIET/RUSSIAN MISSILE DESIGNATIONS