Calathumpian
I am lucky enough that the regular readers of this effort seem to like it enough to want to come back again – but even luckier that some decide to write a piece themselves. Today is one of those days, so here with a word I’d certainly never heard of is the Lone Wolf himself, Autolycus:
When I first read this word on Julie’s blog, I thought, from the context, that it must be some local way of describing people one doesn’t mix with in Sydney. But it wasn’t clear – to someone with my limited knowledge of the social geography there – whether that meant the kind of people on one side of her (referred to in the saying “In Adelaide they want to know who your family are, in Melbourne they want to know where you sent to school, and in Sydney they want to know how much your house cost), or the more downmarket (even underclass) people on the other side.
The word isn’t, apparently, known to the Oxford English Dictionary; but on Googling it, I find a more interesting story than I had supposed. There’s a Wikipedia entry, which a lot of other sites refer to: this says the word derives from the Latin “calathus” meaning a rubbish bin. My Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines this as a “vase-shaped basket”, which sounds altogether more fragrant. Either lends support to the Wikipedia defintion of a home-assembled personal philosophical or religious position, but whether this is meant to suggest an old-fashioned sort of Bible-thumping (like the Quivering Brethren in Cold Comfort Farm) or a modern form of crystal-dangling, pan-piping knit-your-own religion is presumably a matter of choice.
Alternatively, it’s used as a generic word for any point of view, as in “A Catholic, a Muslim or a Calathumpian could accept XYZ…” (cf. the usage “I don’t care if you’re black or white or sky-blue pink…..”).
There are plenty of online examples of these usages, as also of the spelling “Callithumpian” to suggest a rather rollicking, stomping sort of jazz or other oompah music. According to World-Wide Words, this is an American usage dating back to around 1836, which might derive from an English dialect word “gallithumpian” for the more hooligan sort of heckler, which apparently also indicated a group of social reformers – a possible source for the specifically religious meaning in Australia and New Zealand.
It all sounds delightfully Dickensian: I could imagine Mr Gallithump and Mrs Jellyby at daggers drawn over who gets to speak at the great campaign meeting for the natives of the Borioboola-Gha – but would you get to use it much in everyday life?
Well, it’s certainly a word with a good sound to it – it’s just a pity I’ll find it so hard to work into a conversation! Thanks Autolycus. If anyone else fancies a stab at writing a piece, feel free. If you’d like to see the other guest postings, just click on the “guest” category. If neither of those prospects appeals, check back soon for another thrilling installment…
Callithumpian seems to have a common origin for both American and Australian usages, in the British Isles during the 1820-1830′s. A band of diverse musicians (assembled more for volume than harmony) were assembled to promote some worthy social and/or religious reform. So when bands of such reformers formed groups in migrant settlements like California, Victoria, Otago or Colorado, the Americans applied the word to the music, but the Australias to the musicians. Both usages have retained a meanings of embracing diversity outside the social, musical, and/or religious mainsteam.
Thanks very much for this addition Bryan. This post is rapidly becoming the definitive resource in Calli/Calathumpian research!
In my home town of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, the July 1st parade has been known as the Calithumpian Parade for as long as I can remember. It seems, though, that even there the word is disputed but the flavour remains the same. The town is fiercely proud, political and for a tiny place (jokingly I was named 8001 on the census, when born) it had a remarkable number of landmark churches—5 in 2 blocks. visit porthopehistory.com for the whole scoop.
Lianne, welcome to Word du Jour =)
Many thanks for providing yet more background to this odd word. The origins and indeed the spelling(s) of it seem to be a matter of much debate. I took a look at the Port Hope site – what a wonderfully self-effacing commentary on the history of the town!
My older dicitonaries give Calathumpian as a noisy party or parade or festival such as were often held at country weddings and such. Often a noisy gang of friends who would tease a wedding couple on their honeymoon night with catcalls and ribald songs etc. (Hence the out of tune marching band idea). Also a noisy heckler at a political event who would boldly point out the flaws in a politician’s speech or party’s platform.
Reformed Calathumpian – One who challenges the commonly held views of others which are soley based on peer pressure or majority views- not neccesarily common sense. Their patron saint is the little boy who said “But the Emperor has no clothes”