tin-horn 的词源

也作 tinhorn，“小气但华丽”，1857年，来自 tin (adj.) + horn (n.)；据说最初是指低级赌徒，因他们用锡罐摇骰子，但 tin (n.) 已经有了“卑微，小气，无价值”的次要意义。而锡号在1830年已被认为是便宜而嘈杂的东西，一种模拟号角或召集民兵吃饭或宣布马车到达的方式。到1844年，这个词被用于形容嘈杂的政治 ranting。

A person could scarcely walk a block from his house, no matter in what section of the city he lived, without encountering some shaver blowing a tin horn, similar to those used by fishmongers in the peddling of their staple, making the most discordant sounds, to the great discomfort of old ladies and pedantic old gentlemen. The tin horn is an institution peculiar to New York, but we cannot trace anything in its history that has any analogy to Christmas. ["Christmas Celebration in New York," N.Y. Herald, Dec. 27, 1859] 

人们几乎无法离开自己家走一个街区，无论他住在城市的哪个区域，都会遇到一些人在吹锡号，类似于鱼贩在出售其主打商品时使用的那些，发出最不和谐的声音，给老太太和迂腐的老绅士们带来极大的不适。锡号是纽约特有的一个制度，但我们无法追溯其历史中与圣诞节有任何类比的东西。[“Christmas Celebration in New York,” N.Y. Herald, Dec. 27, 1859]