GB Does Etymology

The other day Glenn was giving a dissertation on how to write a press release. He told everyone to make sure to end their press release by writing "Forty." Why? "That is the way that newspaper people tell the editor that that is the end of the story…." Ah yes, that's what the "newspaper people" do. Well, as I mentioned on the mother-ship, the way you would actually end a press release, if you were so inclined as to use this somewhat dated construction, is by writing -30-. So he got the number dead wrong and he's setting some kid up to look like an idiot by taking his advice (fortunately nobody takes his advice). I guess you could write "Forty" but then you'd have to use some Kenton Knepper action and write "Off by 10."

Now, Glenn knows he made a mistake, but to admit this would be to admit that he was trying to pass himself off as an authority on something he knows nothing about, so what does he do? He writes a post defending the misinformation. Here's the relevant bit:


For the people that seem to want to know where the press release and the “Forty” for the end of the press release comes from - I think it came from the early newspaper business when reporters would phone in a story. They would push the breaking news in those days to get it on the streets first.

They would end the call in of the story by saying “Forty” then they would have any conversation if they were still going to talk.

Hmmm.

Well, that certainly explains it right?

This is like saying, "Do you know where the phrase 'hit the hay' comes from? Well, in the old days when people went to sleep they used to say, 'I'm going to hit the hay.'"

You don't explain where a word or phrase comes from by saying what the word or phrase means, but I guess that's obvious to most people.

Glenn, please tell me why they used the word "Forty." Not what they used it for. But rather why that word, why forty? Why not "stop here," or "This bit is where it ends," or "pumpernickel." Glenn won't be able to answer this question because they don't use the word forty and he's too much of a baby to say that he made a mistake.

Dummy.

Forty.