sockdologizing

== English == === Etymology === Nonce word, from sockdolager + -ize + -ing. Coined 1858 by Tom Taylor for the play Our American Cousin. Taylor presumably learned sockdolager from Dictionary of Americanisms (1848) by John Russell Bartlett and used it to evoke Americanness in his play’s title character. === Adjective === sockdologizing (not comparable) (nonce word) Ambiguous term of abuse; scheming. ==== Usage notes ==== The term is not given enough context for an unambiguous definition, but it is clearly an insult. It is best known for its role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln: the line containing sockdologizing was chosen by John Wilkes Booth as his cue to shoot Lincoln, as he knew from experience that it was the one that tended to evoke the most laughter, which he hoped would cover the sound of the shot. === References ===