The Unknown Stories Behind Familiar Legal Expressions

If you haven't learned by now, I really enjoy fun and interesting factoids I find in various articles and around the internet.  I have lists of the ones I find on my various websites.  I found this article about where different legal phrases originated and found it interesting so I thought I would share!

Legal Ease
Think blackmail evolved from the actions of a rogue postman?  Think again.  Elizabeth Thornburg, professor of law and co-author of Lawtalk: The Unknown Stories Behind Familiar Legal Expressions, recounts the intriguing reality behind several age-old expressions.

'Scofflaw' - "In 1924, a Prohibitionish named Delcevare King was in search of a word that carried such a negative connotation that when called it, lawless imbibers would change their ways," says Thornburg.   "So he held a contest.  The winning word, scofflaw, eventually came to refer to someone who habitually broke any law- though the law was typically one that was unpopular with the people.  The term regained popularity in the early 2000s when people were downloading music and movies without paying for them."

'Blackmail' - "Clans routinely battled each other in 16th century Scotland.  There wasn't a lot of law enforcement, so if a marauder said, 'Pay me this money and I'll make sure nobody steals your cattle,' you paid him, especially because the subtext was really, 'Pay me and I won't steal them myself.' The Scottish word for payment was maill, and black referred to the underhanded nature of the exchange, similar to its usage in black market.  Over time, blackmail morphed to mean "pay me or I will reveal  your private information."

'Third Degree' - "In the 1880s, many of the higher-ups in New York City's police force were Freemasons.  The highest degree of initiation is the third degree, a process rumored to involve intense questioning.  One particularly successful NYPD interrogator was a third-degree Mason named Thomas Byrnes.  In one New-York Tribune article from 1883, he coined the phrase when he was quoted as breaking a gang of criminals by giving them 'the third degree."

'Read The Riot Act' - "There really was a Riot Act, and people actually read it.  In an effort to protect King George 1 and the rest of the Hanover dynasty from being overthrown, Parliament established the Riot Act in 1715 to minimize organized revolt.  It stated that any time a group of 12 or more people gathered, an official had to read the Riot Act, which warned them to disperse immediately or else face arrest - or worse, the death penalty.  This law grew into a phrase that involves issuing a stern warning to stop specified minconduct of any kind."

'Boilerplate' - "In the early 19th century, boilerplates were thin plates of steel used to make steam boilers.  As regional newspapers started popping up, news syndicates developed and sold them stories, which were printed on thin sheets of metal that resembled boilerplates.  Because of the medium they came in, editors had to publish the stories as written.  So the term bboilerplate came to refer to any kind of formulaic, unvarying text, often seen in wills, contracts, and other legal documents."

For more information about Irion Books, click here
For more information about my Summit Murder Mystery series, click here

Happy Independence Day!

Librarians - Order the Summit Murder Mystery Series Today!

Calling all librarians!!!

Give your readers a great murder mystery series to read that's full of action, betrayal, adventure and for a unique twist, climbing drama!  

The Summit Murder Mystery series was inspired by the 1987 Everest attempt by author Charles G. Irion. Each is an exciting murder mystery set against the climb of one of the Seven Summits. The authors invite you to begin your adventure today with Murder on Everest. Unlike any mystery ever previously written, you will actually feel yourself atop Everest in the midst of a violent blizzard. You’ll read what it's like to climb with one-third the usual oxygen, to fight illness and fatigue. You will experience the thrill of the climb, the terror of every step in the Death Zone.

Who will be murdered? How? And why? The answers will astound you.

What are you waiting for?!  Order the series today!

Available for Pre-order the Summit Murder Mystery Series Set

Dozens kidnapped by rebels in Peru

According to the Associated Press article dated Sunday, April 15th, in Lima, Peru thirty-six kidnapped construction workers walked out of Peru's jungle to freedom after being released by Shining Path rebels who abducted them five days earlier from a town near the nation's main natural-gas fields, officials said. 

President Ollanta Humala told Peruvian radio station RPP that the guerrillas freed the captives because troops and police from a force of 1,500 men were closing in.

Reports such as this one aren't having an effect on Charles Irion.  Currently training and preparing for his climb of Machu Picchu he's looking forward to his visit to Peru.  Irion is heading to Peru in June to climb Machu Picchu as research for his upcoming book Murder on Machu Picchu. 

For more information about Charles Irion, please visit www.charlesirion.com
For more information about the Summit Murder Mystery series, please visit www.summitmurdermystery.com

K2 Summer in the City Event

I am proud to announce that Irion Books, LLC is a major sponsor of the K2 Adventure Foundation's 3rd Annual "Summer in the City" event at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix, AZ on May 19th.  K2 Adventures Foundation is a qualified 501c(3) non-profit national and international organization whose mission is to care for children and families with special needs and or life changing medical circumstances by providing services and funds that will be used for educational and medical enrichment.

Kevin Cherilla and Kristen Sandquist are the co-founders of the K2 organization and I was lucky enough to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with them in June of last year.  Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro was an unforgettable experience and I used it as research to formulate the plot and excitement that you will find in Murder on Kilimanjaro, the final book in my Summit Murder Mystery series due out in October 2012.


The 'Summer in the City' event will feature a luncheon and fashion show, shopping from local vendors and silent and live auctions.  The best part is that all the monies raised from the event directly support local and international charities and the Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind in Tanzania.

To register for the event, please CLICK HERE! 


I am looking forward to sharing photos from the event, so stay tuned!

For more information about my philanthropic endeavors, please click HERE

For more information about my Summit Murder Mystery series, please click HERE

For more information about the K2 Adventures Foundation, please click HERE

Reagan Centennial Seminar

I was very excited when I received the opportunity to attend the Reagan Centennial Seminar on Leadership and Improving Government Effectiveness, sponsored by the Thunderbird School of Global Management.  The seminar was great and I was fortunate to meet and have photos taken with  Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Ambassador Barbara Barrett!  Sandra has three sons and one of them has summited all 7 of the highest continental summits! I enjoyed speaking to her about my mystery series which I'm sure her son would enjoy! 

 Ambassador Barbara Barrett and I

 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and I

 

To learn more about the Summit Murder Mystery series, CLICK HERE!