Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-23
THE ORIGIN OF CHESTNUT
How the Term Came to be Applied
to a Stale Joke or oft-Told Story.
boston Herald

One of the peculiar tidal waves of
popularity having brought the term
"chestnut," as applied to everything
iocular and antedeluvian, in promi-
nence, its origin is being discussed.
The truth is, the phrase is as old as
Joe Miller himself, although public
attention is directed to it within
very brief time. Like most of the
popular catchwords in which our
colloquial language abounds, "chest-
nut" is believed to have first seen
the light in the theater. Such, how
ever is not the case, although the
place of its nativity was next door to
the temple of Thespis. The present
Specification of the word originated
some thirty years ago in a negro min
strel company according to the best
of authorities-that ofan eyewitness
and nearer. 1t seems in this par
ticular minstrel show there were
number of funny fellows, some of
whom have, since that burnt-cork
era, attained considerable theatrical
distinction. But at the same time,
when they wandered about the cOun-
try, there prevailed craze for carry
horse chestnuts in the pocket as a tai
isman against rheumatism. This
horse chestnut craze was not unlike
the hot water and mind cure crazes
of the present day, and even now be-
lief in its superstitious agency is said
TO exist among the ignorant and
credulous. Those mlnstrels adopted
the prevailing whim-though rheu-
matism was not epidemic in their
ranks-but just for the fun of it. One
rheumatic individual, by some one
of those mysterious accidents which
make the reputation of quacks, was
actually cured of his trouble while
transporting on his person this shin
ing brown nut. He was simple
hearted fellow, not ovcrstocked with
brains, and the company made him
the butt of all its practical jokes.
When his "cure" was established his
faith in the horse chestnut transcend
ed that of the good Bostonian in
"mental SCIENCE" and he recounted
the astonishing tale to everybody
who could be induced to listen to
him. Indeed, buttonholes stood no
kind of a chance near him. His
amiable brother Ministries fooled him
to the top of his bent. Each one
took him aside to make the most par
ticular inquiries respecting the chest
nut-its shape and its size in which
pocket he carried it, and all with the
intense gravity and interest which
could be condensed into a minstrel
countenance. He repeated his expe-
rience over and over again, never
dreaming he was being numerically
guyed. Whenever new conner APP
peared on the scene, he was hidden
to ask him to relate his wonderful
story, and when bore had to be
dispatched he was entertained with
his horse-chestnut cure, which had
become a screaming joke throughout
the company.
From this incident arose the excla-
nation, when story was twice told,
"Oh, that's horse chestnut And
in time this was abbreviated, for il
passed through series of Darwinian
evolutions, by which the "horse" was
eliminated and the "chestnut" alone
survived, perhaps because it was the
fittest. Naturally enough, the ex.
preston graduated from the minstre
show to the theaters, and there it hal
reposed in "innocuous desuetude'
until now, when it suddenly reap
pears to mingle with the picturesqu,
phraseology of the day to warn cred
ulous people to keep their ears opel
and never to repeat themselves.