Japanese

04:36 

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Words and Their Stories -- a program in Special English. Every word has its own story. Where did it come from? What does it mean? And how did it get into the language? Today's word is "wildcat."

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The loud screech of a wildcat can send chills running up and down one's backbone. Many early settlers of America often felt these chills. The bad-tempered wildcats raided their farms, carried off their sheep, and killed their cattle. Perhaps it was the quickness of wildcats and the senseless way they acted that put their name into the American language. For in the early 1800's, the name "wildcat," was given to members of Congress who acted quickly with little thought. In the year 1812 when the United States and Britain went to war, a magazine said: "Some of the wildcat congressmen have gone home unable to face the terrible responsibility of unnecessary war."

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J03

In the early 1800's, the Western part of the United States was still being developed. Towns grew up overnight. Gold was being discovered in many areas. The West was growing so fast that the Government in Washington could not keep up with its progress. In fact, there were no national laws governing banks or the issuing of money, and so, the States themselves gave banks permission to put out paper money. One bank in the State of Michigan issued colorful paper money with the picture of a wildcat on it. Soon the country was flooded with all kinds of paper money. Some banks even put out more paper money than they had gold. This meant the paper money was worth little. Such paper money was called "wildcat currency," "wildcat bills or bank notes." And the banks that did this were called "wildcat banks." A South Dakota newspaper said: "These are the days of wildcat currency when a man might be rich at sunrise and poor at sunset."

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J04

At about this time, there was a report that gold was discovered in California. People rushed west to get rich. Some dug for gold, others searched for oil. Some found gold, and some found a little oil. Many did not. But the excitement of discovery was great. There was a fever in the land. There were also men who, like the wildcat, moved quickly. They opened up mines, got others to pay for them, then ran off with the money because there was no gold, no oil. Such mines or phony oil fields were called "wildcats " At last the Government m Washington passed new laws to control currency, mining, and oil drilling. But the word, "wildcat," remains in the language.

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Today, anyone who drills for oil or gas in an area not known to produce such things is a wildcat. Any businessman who makes money illegally can be called a "wildcat." And in recent times, the word, "wildcat," has been used in relation to strikes. A "wildcat strike" is one in which workers strike without permission of their union.

Voice of America

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