"shyster" -- like "niggardly," another case of overreaction?

While visiting my father in Tucson this past weekend, dad’s companion told a story about how she was prepared to upbraid one of dad’s doctors for using the term, “Phoenix shysters.” She didn’t because there was a nurse in the room whom she liked and didn’t want to embarrass.

I asked, “What is wrong with ‘shyster?’”

To which Arlene responded that the word derives from “shylock,” meaning moneylender, which is frequently a slam against Jews and is anti-Semitic code.

When I continued to look puzzled, dad asked, “What’s the problem?”

I replied that I had always heard “shyster” used in reference to politicians or lawyers. I also said that I didn’t think that “shyster” was related to “shylock” and that I thaught references to “shysters” being Jewish was coincidental, not explicit. I also posited that an analysis of the word “shyster” in the OED might reveal that it has a longer pedigree than “shylock,” referring to moneylenders.

I was coldly told that I was welcome to any opinion I wanted and was free to look in any dictionaries I desired.

So I did.

The OED revealed to me that the word “shyster” is clearly an americanism that developed probably in New York City in the 1840s or '50s in reference to lowbrow lawyers hocking questionable talents and credentials to the unfortuantes who found themselves in the “Tombs” prior to arraignment or trial.

Nevertheless, the OED entry begins with the unfortunate statement, “Of obscure origin.” It allows the possibility that the word derives from the meaning of “shy” relating to disreputable places or persons (definition #7, by the by, of “shy”), that is no longer in common usage in the United States. That is combined with “-ster,” a suffix frequently attatched to those holding women’s jobs (as in “seamstress”), or those with vocations of questionable quality (“trickster,” “hipster,” “tipster”).

I also took a look at Webster’s. The book gave a similar definition, but suggested that the word might be related to the german, * sheisser*, meaning “defecator.” For reasons I won’t get into, I find this interpretaion of the origins of the word problematic.

When I brought my discoveries to Arlene’s and dad’s attention, Arlene met my evidence with the response that when she was growing up, “shyster” was related to “shylock” and was, therefore, a slur against Jews.

I replied that I had found no direct evidence of that. I also stated that I had a problem with the desire to police language. I stated my fervent objection to anyone being upbraided, or even losing their jobs (as was the case in the “niggardly” fiasco), for using language correctly.

To her credit, Arlene agreed with me. She said, though, that “shyster” was one of those codewords that veils anti-Semitism.

My father said that he thought the word may have become an anti-Semitic slur by a writer in the beginning of the century who used the term frequently to refer to a character who was clearly Jewish (and he added that it may have been Thornton Wilder in “Our Town” or Sinclair Lewis in “Babbit”). As I have read neither, I could not refute his statement (which, if it is true, I wouldn’t want to anyway). On this issue, I am looking for guideance.

I did concede that the OED is not known for trying to interpret the way language is used and, therefore, might be a difficult tool for determining racial slurs. Arlene conceded that in the 1840s and '50s, lawyers in New York City were not commonly Jewish.

So, here are my questions:

Is there a connection between “shylock” and “shyster?”

If not, is there some other reason a Jew might be offended by the use of the term “shyster?” Was it used in an anti-Semitic manner by one of our great writers?

I am concerned, because there is a paucity of really good words to refer to “scumbag lawyers.” I wouldn’t want to have to give up one of the best because it is a racist slur, after all.

-oscar

To be honest, I was not aware that anyone thought that shyster was a derrogatory term for jews. I’ve always heard it used to describe scumbag lawyers and corrupt politicians regardless of religion or race.

I also always just assumed that it was German or Yiddish for “shitter.” Merriam Webster lists this as the only etymolgy and the vaunted OED also includes it despite the fact that you have problems with that.

The reason I mention Yiddish above is that I think many of the times I’ve heard the word it was uttered by a Jew.

So I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with using the word shyster for scumbag lawyer. I do not agree with you that shyster is getting the same bad rap as niggardly as I don’t think shyster is thought to be anti-semitic by many people. I could be wrong on that last bit though. I don’t get out a lot.

I have never thought of the term “shyster” as being anti-semetic either. I have always gotten the feeling it was a commonly used term to describe a scumbag con-artist type of person. I use it often, no one has ever (to my notice) given me a dirty look or corrected me.

I had never seen it spelled “shyster” before but i always just assumed, too, that it was just literally the german word for shitter. I thought it was “Sheister”

Turbo, thanks for your thoughts.

I also though “shyster” was a yiddishism. So I went to several yiddish sites on the net, none of which listed it as commonly used yiddish word. This is one reason I am skeptical of the yiddish/german connection with * sheisser*. Also, Arlene told me it was not a yiddishism.

One of the earliest usages that the OED gives spells the word “shuyster,” which implies to me a slightly different pronunciation (from 1856, by the way).

Finally, I speak german, and I have not seen very many words that have come into the english language from german that change either the -ei- or -ai- (both pronounced “aye”) to an -y-. I have tried to come up with some but have been unsuccessful.

On the second point that you raise, I am of the same opinion: “I don’t think shyster is thought to be anti-semitic by many people.” I was surprised that Arlene said that she was. But I’m not about to tell her she is wrong for her feelings without substantial evidence, because this is clearly something that is ingrained in her.

I think that as with “niggardly,” people who are offended by the word are unwilling to accept even the most overwhelming of evidence. I just want overwhelming evidence that this * IS NOT* a slur against Jews.

-oscar

So, just for shits and giggles I decided to put “shyster” and “yiddish” into the old search engine. That lead me to page that had the beauty of a quote.

I’m not going to post the URL for the page where this came from because I don’t want that site, which is based on ignorance, to get any more hits from members of this board. Suffice it to say that the URL had somewhere between 2 and 4 “k”'s in it (among other characters) preceded by a “www.” and followed by “.ImAGreatBigMoron”. (I may not have that last bit right.

I highly doubt that this etymology is based in fact, but it does support that there are those out there who feel “shyster” is an anti-semitic term.

This looks like another “niggardly”.

Apart from the word “shy”, which seems to have several dozen meanings, and words derived from it (“shyly”, “shyer”, etc.), the only English words beginning with “shy-” are Shylock and shyster. The meaning of “shy” from which the OED suggests “shyster” derives is now obsolete, so it’s easy to see how people assume it’s related somehow to “Shylock”, and therefore carries anti-Semitic overtones.

Incidentally, the OED cites a definition from Funk’s Standard Dictionary (1895), which includes, “… especially one [a lawyer] who haunts the prisons and lower courts to prey on petty criminals …”. This would seem to support the suggested etymology: someone who hangs around disreputable places. Also, the quotes for “shy” meaning disreputable are all from the mid-19th Century, about the same time that “shyster” was coined.

IIRC the Marx Brothers made a series of radio comedy shows about a firm of lawyers. I forget the name of the show, but I’m fairly sure the law firm was called Flywheel, Shyster and Shyster.

When in doubt, do a Web search.

From http://www.marx-brothers.org :

If you visit the site, there’s a short .wav clip of the show.

BTW, what does “niggardly” mean, anyway?

back to the OP- you were asking if anyone had heard of the term Shyster to be used in practical speech habits to be a derougetory term for Jewish.

Yep. absolutely.

My background (which may help to identify the source): My dad is the son of German immigrants. Grandma, claimed to have been “high German” but was born in what is now Russia, and spoke German, Yiddish and Russian. I grew up in the suburbs of De-troit, in an area where there was a significant percentage of folks with Jewish heritage.

Throughout my childhood, I came into contact with a profession that is (at least around there) predominately Jewish.

And I heard that term used, alot, always in a negative fashion, always referring to persons who were Jewish.

There, now that I’ve muddied up the waters for you, I’ll go back to my scheduled other activities.

Tom & Turbo,

Thanks for your insights and the links. They are very helpful figuring out some of these connections.

Guinastasia, “niggardly” means stingy or cheap, according to Webster.

Wring, that is essentially the point that Arlene was making. However, is the slam coincidental or explicit. In other words, when referring to shysters is it with respect to lawyers (the profession of which you speak, I suspect) who happen to be predominantly Jewish (a fact of which I am dubious), or does it refer to them as Jews who happen to be lawyers. As I have noted, the word seems to predate a time when large numbers of Jews were lawyers (the asserion of Turbo’s racist link notwithstanding).

-oscar

from http://www.m-w.com:

Main Entry: nig·gard·ly
Pronunciation: -lE
Function: adjective
Date: 1571
1 : grudgingly mean about spending or granting : BEGRUDGING
2 : provided in meanly limited supply
synonym see STINGY

  • nig·gard·li·ness noun
  • niggardly adverb

For the record I’ve never heard the word “shyster” used in a racial manner; just to imply a shady lawyer of any race or religion. You tend to see it a lot in detective novels, etc. I don’t think it would be so widely used were it offensive.

Oscar. The profession in question was NOT lawyers. It was Jewelers. so, no, it had nothing to do with the lawyerly aspects. IIRC, the tone/implication was that the person in question was cheap, would sell shoddy merchandise at a high mark up, demand deep discounts on quality goods and in general attempt to get more than a fair deal for the price.

like I said, I’m only here to muddy the waters.

So, basically, my recollection matches your aunts. Now, if this was a wide spread usage, couldn’t tell ya.

While I don’t believe that shyster holds any antisemetic significance, I have seen it used that way.

In John Grisholm’s (Is that spelled right?) book The Chamber there is at least one use of the word referring specifically to Jewish lawyers. I don’t really remember specifics, but that was the first time I ever heard of it specifically referring to Jews.

Just a WAG here, but I’m thinking the split between “shyster” meaning “shady Jew” and “shyster” meaning “shady lawyer” goes along generational lines. The word may have started out as being derogatory toward Jews, but since WW II, Western perceptions have changed toward the Jewish people (unless your website ends in “”.ImAGreatBigMoron," that is), so the word is undergoing a slight shift in meaning. To me, it’s a lot like the word “gyp.” Most people who use it would never dream that it had anything to do with Gypsies.

There’s a lot to be said for context. If Arlene has other evidence that her doctor is anti-semitic and she wishes to disabuse him of the notion that she shares his prejudice - I applaud her. But if she’s simply taking offense when no offense was intended, maybe she should just look for a new doctor.

As a Jew and as a lawyer, I’d take offens at “shyster,” if any one dared call me that, not as a Jew but as a lawyer. I’ve never thought it referred to Jews. (Incidentally, in reply to a prior post, Jews are not a race, but refers to people of the Jewish religion. These could be black, white, yellow, or rainbow.)

wring,

Since some well-meaning people seem to assume that words like “shyster” and “niggardly” are racially offensive because they sound like other words, I suppose there’s nothing to stop people who want to be racially offensive from making the same assumptions. All the better if they can hide behind a word that acually has a different meaning.

I think there’s fairly good evidence in this thread that it didn’t originally have any connection to Jews per se (except insofar as some of them were lawyers), but derived from a now-obsolete sense of the word, “shy”.

You’re right, TomH, I shouldn’t have used the words “started out.” There does seem to be evidence that, in usage at least, the word was tied to an unflattering characterization of Jews. That’s what I was brought up to understand and why I was taught the word was never used in polite society.

So it seemed to me the exact meaning of “shyster” has floated around a bit, and Arlene shouldn’t be so quick to jump to the conclusion that her doctor dislikes Jews when he really just hates lawyers.

I’ve seen it spelt ‘shuyster’ by the way. I think.