# Jew's-harp (reference from yoga cloth swallowing article (re)posted 5/13/02)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-harp-reference-from-yoga-cloth-swallowing-article-re-posted-5-13-02/108867>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 13, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-harp-reference-from-yoga-cloth-swallowing-article-re-posted-5-13-02/108867 "2002-05-13T18:46:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lazarus\_Long](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8edcca/32.png) [@Lazarus\_Long](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus_Long)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-harp-reference-from-yoga-cloth-swallowing-article-re-posted-5-13-02/108867/1 "2002-05-13T18:46:07Z")

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I read with surprise Cecil’s refence to the “Jew’s-harp” as I’d always assumed that it was a derogatory term.

This seemed a little out of character so I did a little (emphasis on “little”) research and found some sources that seem to say “We have no idea where this name comes from but it doesn’t seem to be a slur”.

e.g., [http://www.jewsharpguild.org/history.html](http://www.jewsharpguild.org/history.html)

On the other hand, dropping a term that sounds offensive but really isn’t in order to lure someone into flaming him whereupon he could rebut and enlighten _does_ seem like something Cecil might do.

So rather than go off half-cocked, I’ll simply ask, “Where does the name ‘Jew’s harp’ come from?”

(This smiley ;j seems appropriate but I just can’t figure out how to subtly slide it into my message and it’s killing me)

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-harp-reference-from-yoga-cloth-swallowing-article-re-posted-5-13-02/108867/2 "2002-05-13T19:27:37Z")

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The [The Jew’s Harp Guild](http://www.jewsharpguild.org/history.html) offers several explanations. Quoting a certain Frederick Crane:

> [@](#):
>
> To summarize, six words have been discussed as the original form from which the Jew’s of Jew’s Harp was corrupted: jaw’s, jeu, jeugd, gewgaw, giga, gawe. The frequency and dogmatism with which the various etymons have been asserted vary from very great to very little.

More theories can be found at the link.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jews-harp-reference-from-yoga-cloth-swallowing-article-re-posted-5-13-02/108867/3 "2002-05-14T00:18:58Z")

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[Maven’s Word of the Day](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001219) is the lovely etymology site for the Random House Dictionary people, although this site ended recently. But they give probably the best current source of info on word derivations.