So what鈥檚 wrong with a little rigging?
We have heard a great deal about 鈥渞igging鈥� this political season, from both the left and the right. But it turns out that there鈥檚 good rigging and there鈥檚 bad rigging.
To rig means, among other things, to 鈥減repare (a sailing ship or boat) for going to sea,鈥� according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Specifically it means 鈥渢o set up the sails and rigging of (a sailing vessel).鈥�
Rigging, the noun, refers to the action of making such preparation, and also, as a concrete noun, the 鈥渞opes, chains, wires, and associated fittings used to support and operate a vessel鈥檚 masts, sails, derricks, booms, etc.鈥澛�
Rig is such a sturdy little English word: three letters, one syllable, a short vowel, and a hard 鈥済.鈥澛�
But the word鈥檚 origin is really 鈥渦nknown,鈥� Oxford says, even though
鈥淸m]any suggestions have been made鈥� for its origin.
Let鈥檚 call this the 鈥渘autical鈥� rig, noun and verb, although the sense has been extended to cover other kinds of 鈥渟etups鈥� 鈥� in particular, oil rigs and large trucks.聽
The term is also used broadly to mean a 鈥渟et of equipment used for a particular activity,鈥� as has it, citing an example, 鈥渁 lighting rig.鈥澛�
But there鈥檚 another rig, a verb, likewise of 鈥渦nknown origin,鈥� that refers to various efforts to manipulate or 鈥渇ix鈥� something 鈥� such as stock prices or elections.
鈥淣autical鈥� rig dates to the early 1500s. 鈥淢anipulative鈥� rig goes back to the 1640s, when a rig was a fraudulent scheme or swindle.聽
A century later, the word had become a verb.
Oxford quotes a newspaper from 1841: 鈥淭he Tea men ... have been merrily rigging the market, so much that the prices have gone up about 4d. per lb.鈥澛�
And The Baltimore Sun had this in 1935: 鈥淭he way the 鈥榚lection鈥� was rigged made an opposing farmer seem a sap.鈥� (Note the scare quotes around 鈥渆lection.鈥�)
A special kind of nautical rigging deserves mention here: jury rigging. It sounds like an indictable offense, doesn鈥檛 it? Another term for jury tampering?
The jury in a courtroom is a group of people who have been 鈥渟worn鈥� (ultimately from the Latin iurare) to 鈥渄etermine the facts and truth of a case or charge submitted to them and render a verdict,鈥� as the Online Etymology Dictionary reminds us.聽
But there鈥檚 a nautical term, jury mast, meaning, according to Oxford, 鈥淎 temporary mast put up in place of one that has been broken or carried away.鈥澛�
The 鈥渕ast鈥� part is clear; whence the 鈥渏ury鈥�?聽
Alas, it鈥檚 another in our catalog of 鈥渙rigin unknown.鈥� Oxford mentions and then dismisses the suggestion that 鈥渋t may have been short for injury-mast,鈥� since 鈥渘o supporting evidence has been found.鈥�
The Online Etymology Dictionary suggests, 鈥淧erhaps it is ultimately from , 鈥榟elp, relief,鈥� from Latin adjutare.鈥澛�
Whatever its origin, this 鈥渏ury鈥� has been incorporated in terms to describe all kinds of inspired ad hockery at sea, including improvised rigging 鈥� jury rigging.聽
