'Stool pigeon'; 'last hurrah'; train depots

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Dear Editor: Where does the term "stool pigeon'' come from? — R. F., Santa Fe, N.M.

Dear R. F.: Now used to refer to someone who informs on wrongdoers, "stool pigeon'' is an Americanism that is believed to have originated with a practice used in hunting. In early years, when hunters were on the lookout for pigeons as targets, they would often capture one pigeon and then tie the bird to a stool so that it could not move. (The "stool'' in this case most likely refers to a tree stump, not a piece of furniture.)

When the bird struggled in its attempts to free itself, it would attract several more of its own kind, thereby giving the hunter more to shoot or trap. The live bird literally served as a decoy that would lure its fellow pigeons to their own demise.

"Stool pigeon'' acquired the figurative sense that we recognize today in the early 19th century. Playing on the notion of bringing down one's fellow man, now the phrase can refer to a person (such as a member of a crime syndicate) who reports his or her fellow criminals to the authorities, or to a person who is sent by police to act as a spy within a group of criminals and to report back useful information.

The derivative synonym "stoolie'' was first recorded in 1924.

Dear Editor: A co-worker of mine is about to retire. He is working on his last project, and keeps referring to it as his "last hurrah.'' I'm embarrassed to admit I'm not familiar with the expression. Can you explain it, and tell me where it comes from?

— D. L., Whiting, Maine Dear D. L.: A "last hurrah'' is simply a last effort or attempt. The expression sometimes connotes a triumphant or tragic end, and it is often used to describe the end of someone's career. For example, we have a citation in our files describing Walter Cronkite's last news broadcast before retiring as his "last hurrah.''

The expression comes from the title of the 1956 novel "The Last Hurrah'' by American author Edwin O'Connor. A film based on the novel and starring Spencer Tracy was made in 1958. The novel depicts the unsuccessful last campaign of Frank Skeffington, a veteran politician and boss of the political machine of an unnamed eastern city.

Skeffington's last bid for re-election as mayor is his "last hurrah.'' The novel is believed to be modeled on the career of James M. Curley, who during the first half of the 20th century was elected mayor of Boston four times, none of the terms consecutive. The great success of O'Connor's novel resulted in its title becoming a common figurative expression in American English, especially in the worlds of politics and sports.

Dear Editor: I've never understood how a railroad station came to be called a "depot.'' Isn't a depot a place where things are stored?

— C. N., Potsdam, N.Y.

Dear C. N.: The term "depot'' does indeed signify a place in which things are stored. It comes, by way of French, from the Latin word "depositus,'' meaning "a deposit, especially for safekeeping.'' Since at least 1795, when a book of travels through Britain described a certain inn as "the 'depot' or storehouse of the Colliers of the Trent,'' the term "depot'' has been used to describe an array of storage places, including horse stables, fuel repositories, and prisoner-of-war camps. Often, the word "depot'' was used (as it still is) to describe a place in which military supplies are stored. This use of the term in military contexts led to its association with a place for the reception and forwarding of military replacements.

With the advent of train travel in the early 1800s came the need for a word to describe the place from which passengers and freight are transported. Since "depot'' already signified a place for reception and forwarding, it was the natural choice.

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