a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power.
On Mon, 02 Jul 2012 06:46:14 -0700, Carol Devolder wrote: >I always thought the term applied to endless running on an exercise wheel and >the futility of running but never going anywhere. Although I've seen some instances of "rat race" used in this way, it doesn't really make any sense from a racing perspective. The New Oxford English Dictionary provides the definition: |rat race ▶n. (informal) |a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power. |■ an exhausting, usually competitive routine. -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] On Jul 2, 2012, at 8:27 AM, Michael Palij <[email protected]> wrote: > Just a little more on the issue of the origin of the contemporary term > "rat race". Below is an example relevant to teaching. > > Example #4: > In this example "rat race" is used in its contemporary sense and is relevant > to college teaching. > > The Recruitment of Qualified Teachers: Higher Education's Greatest Postwar > Need > Willard Wilson > Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors (1915-1955) , > Vol. 31, No. 3 (Autumn, 1945), pp. 337-347 > Published by: American Association of University Professors > Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40220613 > > On page 347 we have the following paragraph: > > | Finally, however, for recruits we will have to depend upon the missionary > |appeal which is at the root of all really sincere conversions to the teaching > |profession. Admitted that we are over-worked and underpaid, that there are > |stinkers in our midst, that we are underestimated by other professions, that > |we are not constantly in a twitter of excitement about the dawning geniuses > |in our classes, and that at times we wonder how we ever got into this > |academic ******rat-race********, we nevertheless should continue to convey > |to these young people the fact that teaching is a serious, dignified > business. > |We have to let them know that a real teacher chooses that profession not as > |a stepping stone to another, but as the fulfillment of a deep inner > conviction > |that he has something to give through teaching that will somehow save, or at > |least improve, the immortal thinking of students. And we have to let these > |young people see in us examples of people who have dedicated themselves > |with vigorous intent and honest objectivity to "develop and cultivate > |intellectually |and morally" the minds of our students. > > Following up on Chris Green N-gram search, if one searches books.google.com > for "rat race" and restrict it to the 19th century, one finds three versions > of > the phrase: > > (1) A a reference to rats as a race of beings. A 1858 use of the term in > this sense is provided in the University Chronicle; see: > http://books.google.com/books?id=IUHiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PT90&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CFsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false > > (2) As a literal race between two or more rats. Jim Clark cited a 1851 > source: > http://books.google.com/books?id=vrUBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA151&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CLMBEOgBMBU#v=onepage&q=%22rat%20race%22&f=false > NOTE: the original text is available as an ebook. > > (3) A usage comparable to today's use. First, from 1888: > http://books.google.com/books?id=uqzaAAAAMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CIkBEOgBMA4 > Second, from the Spectator: > http://books.google.com/books?id=V_MhAQAAMAAJ&q=%22rat+race%22&dq=%22rat+race%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NJ_xT7-TGYS36wGuxOCbBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=18758 or send a blank email to leave-18758-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
