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May 19, 2011
This week's themeWords derived from circus This week's words three-ring circus desultory dog-and-pony show hey rube jumbo Newsy anagrams All the news that's fit to anagram The Anagram Times 
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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garghey rube
PRONUNCIATION:
(hay roob)
MEANING:
noun:1. A fight between members of a circus and the general public. 2. A call to rally circus members in a fight. ETYMOLOGY:
The term originated in the 19th century when circuses were rowdy affairs
and "Hey Rube" was the rallying cry to call all circus people to help in
a fight with townspeople. It's not clear whether Rube in this term was
someone specific or simply a use of the informal term rube (shortened form
of Reuben) for an unsophisticated person from a rural area. Earliest
documented use: 1882.
USAGE:
"I said 'Shut it, Camel! I'm dealing with a situation here.' Walter says.'What kind of situation?' says Camel. 'Jacob's messed up.' 'What? How? Was there a hey rube?" Sara Gruen; Water for Elephants; Algonquin Books; 2006. "'Hey, Rube,' they would yell. Roustabouts would soon be beating on the trouble-maker." Bill Conlin; Phillies GM Amaro is Master of the Shell Game; The Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Dec 17, 2009. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, author and statesman (1800-1859)
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