tin-horn 的詞源

也 tinhorn，“小气但华丽”，1857年，来自 tin (adj.) + horn (n.)；据说最初是指低级赌徒，来自他们用来摇骰子的锡罐，但 tin (n.) 已经有了“卑贱，小气，无价值”的次要意义。而锡号在1830年已被认为是一种廉价嘈杂的东西，一种模拟号角或召集民兵吃饭或宣布驿车到达的方式。到1844年，这个词被用来形容嘈杂的政治 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的房子走一个街区，无论他们住在城市的哪个区域，都无法不遇到一些人在吹锡号，类似于鱼贩在推销他们的主食时使用的那些，发出最不和谐的声音，极大地让老女士和迂腐的老绅士感到不适。锡号是纽约特有的一个机构，但我们无法追溯其历史中任何与圣诞节相似的东西。["Christmas Celebration in New York," N.Y. Herald, Dec. 27, 1859]