Comments on A CAPITOL BLOG: The Art and Etymology of Chubbing

To challenge (or muddle) a bit of Gritsforbreakfas...

2011-12-09T20:14:21.157-06:00

To challenge (or muddle) a bit of Gritsforbreakfast's argument, "chubbin" was used for idle chat amongst a group of colleagues during work hours at Spags dept store in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, while I worked there in 1988-1989.

Love it. Sourced it for a piece on the people ruin...

2009-06-10T13:45:09.741-05:00

Love it. Sourced it for a piece on the people ruining the Lege: http://digg.com/d1tTJu?f

I've seen several writeups on the etymology of "ch...

2009-05-27T11:48:16.111-05:00

I've seen several writeups on the etymology of "chubbing and agree it's a fascinating topic.

I believe the term as it's being used in this context is probably indigenous to the lower chamber of the Texas Legislature to describe a specific practice that's more or less unique to the body's rules. It's part of a dialect developed among 150 people and the word is typically only used literally within the capitol walls or by those who frequent the place.

Odds are it stems from one funny joke somebody cracked on the floor 40-50 years ago (perhaps related to a talkative colleague's weight, to propose an alternative hypothesis) that was never even written down. A comment-specific origin would explain why there are no web definitions, etc.. It's a phrase propagated for an obscure parliamentary act by one of the most rarified and exclusive subcultures on the planet - the Texas House of Representatives.

I admire the strategic vision and tactical execution, even if I'm unhappy that a bunch of good bills died because of it.

Thanks, just answering questions from the folks, C...

2009-05-26T01:29:22.405-05:00

Thanks, just answering questions from the folks, Citizen Andy. Now if I could only do the other aspects of my job (without delay) that would be great.

Incredibly interesting and insightful. I'd ask yo...

2009-05-26T00:16:29.671-05:00

Incredibly interesting and insightful. I'd ask you why you weren't working on more important things..... but I already know the answer.
Thanks for Tweeting/blogging!
~~Andy Wilson