![]() The OED‘s earliest reference, though, is to A Stray Yankee in Texas, published in 1853. He won, and the jury awarded him $150, or $3 per lash (less, if it also awarded him damages for the “infamous punishment”). When he didn’t or couldn’t pay, he was “subjected to a penalty of 50 lashes and other infamous punishment.” Cupp sued the sheriff, claiming he knew all about the “kangaroo court” practice but did nothing to put a stop to it. Cupp was arrested, couldn’t make bail, and while he was in the county jail the other prisoners put him on trial “in a pretended moot or ‘kangaroo’ court….” He was, unsurprisingly, convicted, and fined 50 cents. This is about the same time the term first appears in a U.S. The OED, which knows more about these things, says the term originated in the U.S., and it cites an 1895 article in Harper’ s that might have been responsible for the uptick in the graph above, discussing “kangaroo courts” set up by prisoners in county jails: To me that suggests the term did not originate in Australia, or else it would have spread along with the word “kangaroo.” But this is pretty weak evidence. In fact, not until the turn of the (20th) century does it really get going, at least in literature: The term “kangaroo” was well established in literature by the early 1800s, but “kangaroo court” doesn’t register at all until much later: There don’t seem to be any early examples of its use there (though maybe an Australian could find one). The more interesting question is, where does the term come from?Īustralia? Apparently not. Although that appears to be optional these days.īut if a “kangaroo court” isn’t a court presided over by Captain Kangaroo, what is it? Well, even Matt Gaetz knows that the term refers to a proceeding that is not legitimate and/or fair to the accused. He chose to use this sentence, and generally speaking, it’s a good idea to know what sentences mean before you use them on national television. But more importantly, this wasn’t sprung on Gaetz out of nowhere. Moose) are in the Smithsonian, for God’s sake. The Captain’s original jacket and at least one of the puppets (Mr. But when a show is on for 30 years, it becomes part of the culture at least to some extent. Granted, Gaetz is too young to have seen the show except possibly in reruns (he’s 37). Rogers’ Neighborhood,” with songs, puppets, cartoons, and so forth. Bob Keeshan’s character always wore a jacket with big pockets, hence the name “ Captain Kangaroo.” The show was somewhat similar to “Mr. But no one believes that.Īs the Washington Post pointed out, “Captain Kangaroo” was “not a courtroom drama.” As most of you probably know, whether you ever saw it or not, it was a classic show for kids that aired for almost three decades, from 1955 until 1984, and in reruns until 1993. If the situation were less serious, or if Gaetz were smarter, it might be possible to believe he was joking when he said this. Adam Schiff is that court’s “Captain Kangaroo.” Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who invited a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union speech, once rear-ended a constituent’s car while gabbing on his cellphone, and was (and possibly still is) under investigation by the Florida Bar for trying to intimidate a witness, defended the president this week by saying that the impeachment proceeding is a “kangaroo court.” And not only that, he said, Rep. ![]() The term kangaroo court is an Americanism that dates back to the 1800s.Yes, Rep. ![]() ?♀️ /0ywzGWPxdUĪnd in case Gaetz needs the real definition of a kangaroo court, is no doubt trolling him with this tweet. The gag is, Trump looks like a "malicious" Captain Kangaroo. “Malicious Captain Kangaroo” was going to be my Halloween costume this year. Malicious Captain Kangaroo, rigging the election. BrooklynDad_Defiant Savage! October 8, 2019 ![]() Rogers alone or we’re REALLY gonna lose it. I swear to GOD, u idiot Republicans better leave Sesame Street and Mr. If Gaetz thinks Captain Kangaroo is malicious, wait until he meets Mr. Īnd now the Twittersphere is jumping at the opportunity to make fun of Gaetz’s remark. That alone should qualify for disbarment. Next time he tries to make a comparison about a beloved children’s show (Captain Kangaroo) and an illegitimate court proceeding (a kangaroo court) he may want to do a little fact-checking.ĭoes Congressman Gaetz think the phrase “kangaroo court” came from Captain Kangaroo? Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was trying to be a little too clever when he addressed the impeachment inquiry today. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Email
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