This is for Mark Carbanaro, who thinks that calling this holiday "The Fourth of July" means a lack of patriotism. He said in the Merc this morning:
"We lose a certain acknowlegement as to what the meaning of the Declaration of Independence is and why our nation was founded when we just say "Happy Fourth of July."
Carbonaro speculates that the growing use of ``Fourth of July'' is the result of a language prone to shy away from multisyllabic words and an increasingly commercial culture.
Well, this business of referring to "the Fourth" instead of "Independence Day" has a long history, it seems. James R. Heintze of American University. Washington, D.C. of has a whole page of late nineteenth and early twentieth century postcards --Fourth of July greetings. Heintze maintains a database of Fourth of July celebrations and will shortly publish The Encyclopedia of Fourth of July Celebrations.
At any rate, Independence Day or the Glorious Fourth, wishing you and yours a day of joy and freedom.
Update: Geoff Nunburg (who was quoted in the Merc article) at Language Log says much ado about nothing.
Comments