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Term of art with racist origin
Origin of the term 'country mile'?Reason for the strange meaning of “for any length of time”?Prefixing a two-word technical term with “sub-”“Soldier sleeps - the service continues” (Russian idiom/saying)Does the term 'eccentric screw pump' have weird associations?A word akin to racist and sexist?Alternative term for trivial caseOrigin of the term “fun fact”Have…going for one/oneselfWhere is Ogden Nash's “piece of cake”?
In the field of probability, there is a fundamental theorem called "The Dutch Book Theorem." Regardless of your original language, this theorem will be known to you if you work with probability with any depth. The theorem says that the laws of probability will follow from assuming that a rational, profit-maximizing bookie, who is willing to accept all finite bets at stated menu prices, is managing the bets. That is to say, a rational, profit-maximizing bookie cannot create a Dutch book.
You could use the Dutch book theorem as a basis to estimate cancer growth rates, study language changes, estimate the distance to a star or bet on horses. It makes the idea of "what is it worth to you" explicit.
It asks "why are you investing so much of your life studying this? Do you view this as a good gamble?" It allows you to challenge someone who doesn't believe in science, such as gravitation to "I will tell you what, you bet $100 that gravity does not exist and I will pay you $1000 if you are correct. Let's go to a ten story building and you can step off of it. I will hold the money." If they refuse the bet, then their beliefs are held at less than 10:1 even if in public they speak with certainty.
Just a note, the last time gravitation was opposed in public education was 1969. The moon shot ended that line of discussion.
The origin of the term is in 17th or 18th-century gambling. To Dutch a book is to mess up the gambles you accepted as a bookie so badly that no matter what happens, you, the bookie, are guaranteed to lose. It comes from two sources of racism. In the United Kingdom, it comes from the English-Dutch wars. That sense carried forward to the American colonies but was conflated with the word Deutch to include Germans. In this case, it implies stupidity, but it can also have a dishonest connotation, such as if an immigrant rigged their bosses book so someone else would win.
I have two questions. The first is "are there other 'terms of art' which connote a racist meaning?" The second is "what to do with this term when everyone knows it and it lacks a ready replacement term?"
EDIT
It seems people misunderstand the Dutch Book Theorem. The core of the Dutch Book Theorem is the bookie. The bookie sets the prices or the odds. They then accept all bets at those prices. Those prices may change with time but are fixed at any static point in time.
An example of a Dutch Book is where there are two possible outcomes A or B. If the bookie would pay out 3:1 odds if A wins and 4:1 odds when B wins, then a Dutch book has formed. Any player could bet one unit on both. If A wins they clear two net units. If B wins, they clear three net units. No player can possibly lose and the bookie cannot possibly win.
It is an example of where the bookie is stupid or irrational. That is a Dutch Book. The inverse Dutch Book theorem says that a Dutch Book cannot form if the laws of probability are followed. To understand why, note that 3:1 odds are the same as a 25% chance of happening and 4:1 are a 20% chance of something happening, but that only adds up to 45% and there is a 100% chance that A or B will happen.
The Dutch Book theorem says that if no Dutch Book forms, then the laws of probability can be derived from that fact alone.
The physical equivalent of the Dutch Book Theorem is "I cut the cake in half, but you choose which piece I get." Here it is I chose the odds, you choose which bets to place.
idioms pejorative-language technical
|
show 1 more comment
In the field of probability, there is a fundamental theorem called "The Dutch Book Theorem." Regardless of your original language, this theorem will be known to you if you work with probability with any depth. The theorem says that the laws of probability will follow from assuming that a rational, profit-maximizing bookie, who is willing to accept all finite bets at stated menu prices, is managing the bets. That is to say, a rational, profit-maximizing bookie cannot create a Dutch book.
You could use the Dutch book theorem as a basis to estimate cancer growth rates, study language changes, estimate the distance to a star or bet on horses. It makes the idea of "what is it worth to you" explicit.
It asks "why are you investing so much of your life studying this? Do you view this as a good gamble?" It allows you to challenge someone who doesn't believe in science, such as gravitation to "I will tell you what, you bet $100 that gravity does not exist and I will pay you $1000 if you are correct. Let's go to a ten story building and you can step off of it. I will hold the money." If they refuse the bet, then their beliefs are held at less than 10:1 even if in public they speak with certainty.
Just a note, the last time gravitation was opposed in public education was 1969. The moon shot ended that line of discussion.
The origin of the term is in 17th or 18th-century gambling. To Dutch a book is to mess up the gambles you accepted as a bookie so badly that no matter what happens, you, the bookie, are guaranteed to lose. It comes from two sources of racism. In the United Kingdom, it comes from the English-Dutch wars. That sense carried forward to the American colonies but was conflated with the word Deutch to include Germans. In this case, it implies stupidity, but it can also have a dishonest connotation, such as if an immigrant rigged their bosses book so someone else would win.
I have two questions. The first is "are there other 'terms of art' which connote a racist meaning?" The second is "what to do with this term when everyone knows it and it lacks a ready replacement term?"
EDIT
It seems people misunderstand the Dutch Book Theorem. The core of the Dutch Book Theorem is the bookie. The bookie sets the prices or the odds. They then accept all bets at those prices. Those prices may change with time but are fixed at any static point in time.
An example of a Dutch Book is where there are two possible outcomes A or B. If the bookie would pay out 3:1 odds if A wins and 4:1 odds when B wins, then a Dutch book has formed. Any player could bet one unit on both. If A wins they clear two net units. If B wins, they clear three net units. No player can possibly lose and the bookie cannot possibly win.
It is an example of where the bookie is stupid or irrational. That is a Dutch Book. The inverse Dutch Book theorem says that a Dutch Book cannot form if the laws of probability are followed. To understand why, note that 3:1 odds are the same as a 25% chance of happening and 4:1 are a 20% chance of something happening, but that only adds up to 45% and there is a 100% chance that A or B will happen.
The Dutch Book theorem says that if no Dutch Book forms, then the laws of probability can be derived from that fact alone.
The physical equivalent of the Dutch Book Theorem is "I cut the cake in half, but you choose which piece I get." Here it is I chose the odds, you choose which bets to place.
idioms pejorative-language technical
2
Bogus assumption on its etymology makes void all the rant that pretends to be motivation to your questions. In other words, you know not if Dutch book is an example of the name of a concept with a racist origin.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:33
The answer to your first question is yes
– samgak
Mar 14 at 0:37
1
@user337391 your post is in bad faith. You assume that I did not investigate the etymology. What caused me to investigate it is that I am using the Dutch Book theorem heavily in a paper at the moment. Curiosity caused me to look at such a strangely named theorem. I cannot definitively state that its origin is pejorative as there are conflicting sources, but only one of them would be positive. It also isn't a rant. A technical definition of a Dutch book would imply the person is either irrational, stupid, or cannot keep their records straight.
– Dave Harris
Mar 14 at 0:45
here's a troublesome one. Siamese connection
– Phil Sweet
Mar 14 at 0:45
1
@DaveHarris I didn't assume it. I know that you didn't and are making up that etymology. Moreover, the concept of a Dutch book has no negative connotations. If you have a Dutch book betting strategy you have a strategy that inflicts a lose, therefore, you are winning with certainty. So, not just in etymology, but even in the area that you are pretending to be working, you don't know what you are talking about.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:48
|
show 1 more comment
In the field of probability, there is a fundamental theorem called "The Dutch Book Theorem." Regardless of your original language, this theorem will be known to you if you work with probability with any depth. The theorem says that the laws of probability will follow from assuming that a rational, profit-maximizing bookie, who is willing to accept all finite bets at stated menu prices, is managing the bets. That is to say, a rational, profit-maximizing bookie cannot create a Dutch book.
You could use the Dutch book theorem as a basis to estimate cancer growth rates, study language changes, estimate the distance to a star or bet on horses. It makes the idea of "what is it worth to you" explicit.
It asks "why are you investing so much of your life studying this? Do you view this as a good gamble?" It allows you to challenge someone who doesn't believe in science, such as gravitation to "I will tell you what, you bet $100 that gravity does not exist and I will pay you $1000 if you are correct. Let's go to a ten story building and you can step off of it. I will hold the money." If they refuse the bet, then their beliefs are held at less than 10:1 even if in public they speak with certainty.
Just a note, the last time gravitation was opposed in public education was 1969. The moon shot ended that line of discussion.
The origin of the term is in 17th or 18th-century gambling. To Dutch a book is to mess up the gambles you accepted as a bookie so badly that no matter what happens, you, the bookie, are guaranteed to lose. It comes from two sources of racism. In the United Kingdom, it comes from the English-Dutch wars. That sense carried forward to the American colonies but was conflated with the word Deutch to include Germans. In this case, it implies stupidity, but it can also have a dishonest connotation, such as if an immigrant rigged their bosses book so someone else would win.
I have two questions. The first is "are there other 'terms of art' which connote a racist meaning?" The second is "what to do with this term when everyone knows it and it lacks a ready replacement term?"
EDIT
It seems people misunderstand the Dutch Book Theorem. The core of the Dutch Book Theorem is the bookie. The bookie sets the prices or the odds. They then accept all bets at those prices. Those prices may change with time but are fixed at any static point in time.
An example of a Dutch Book is where there are two possible outcomes A or B. If the bookie would pay out 3:1 odds if A wins and 4:1 odds when B wins, then a Dutch book has formed. Any player could bet one unit on both. If A wins they clear two net units. If B wins, they clear three net units. No player can possibly lose and the bookie cannot possibly win.
It is an example of where the bookie is stupid or irrational. That is a Dutch Book. The inverse Dutch Book theorem says that a Dutch Book cannot form if the laws of probability are followed. To understand why, note that 3:1 odds are the same as a 25% chance of happening and 4:1 are a 20% chance of something happening, but that only adds up to 45% and there is a 100% chance that A or B will happen.
The Dutch Book theorem says that if no Dutch Book forms, then the laws of probability can be derived from that fact alone.
The physical equivalent of the Dutch Book Theorem is "I cut the cake in half, but you choose which piece I get." Here it is I chose the odds, you choose which bets to place.
idioms pejorative-language technical
In the field of probability, there is a fundamental theorem called "The Dutch Book Theorem." Regardless of your original language, this theorem will be known to you if you work with probability with any depth. The theorem says that the laws of probability will follow from assuming that a rational, profit-maximizing bookie, who is willing to accept all finite bets at stated menu prices, is managing the bets. That is to say, a rational, profit-maximizing bookie cannot create a Dutch book.
You could use the Dutch book theorem as a basis to estimate cancer growth rates, study language changes, estimate the distance to a star or bet on horses. It makes the idea of "what is it worth to you" explicit.
It asks "why are you investing so much of your life studying this? Do you view this as a good gamble?" It allows you to challenge someone who doesn't believe in science, such as gravitation to "I will tell you what, you bet $100 that gravity does not exist and I will pay you $1000 if you are correct. Let's go to a ten story building and you can step off of it. I will hold the money." If they refuse the bet, then their beliefs are held at less than 10:1 even if in public they speak with certainty.
Just a note, the last time gravitation was opposed in public education was 1969. The moon shot ended that line of discussion.
The origin of the term is in 17th or 18th-century gambling. To Dutch a book is to mess up the gambles you accepted as a bookie so badly that no matter what happens, you, the bookie, are guaranteed to lose. It comes from two sources of racism. In the United Kingdom, it comes from the English-Dutch wars. That sense carried forward to the American colonies but was conflated with the word Deutch to include Germans. In this case, it implies stupidity, but it can also have a dishonest connotation, such as if an immigrant rigged their bosses book so someone else would win.
I have two questions. The first is "are there other 'terms of art' which connote a racist meaning?" The second is "what to do with this term when everyone knows it and it lacks a ready replacement term?"
EDIT
It seems people misunderstand the Dutch Book Theorem. The core of the Dutch Book Theorem is the bookie. The bookie sets the prices or the odds. They then accept all bets at those prices. Those prices may change with time but are fixed at any static point in time.
An example of a Dutch Book is where there are two possible outcomes A or B. If the bookie would pay out 3:1 odds if A wins and 4:1 odds when B wins, then a Dutch book has formed. Any player could bet one unit on both. If A wins they clear two net units. If B wins, they clear three net units. No player can possibly lose and the bookie cannot possibly win.
It is an example of where the bookie is stupid or irrational. That is a Dutch Book. The inverse Dutch Book theorem says that a Dutch Book cannot form if the laws of probability are followed. To understand why, note that 3:1 odds are the same as a 25% chance of happening and 4:1 are a 20% chance of something happening, but that only adds up to 45% and there is a 100% chance that A or B will happen.
The Dutch Book theorem says that if no Dutch Book forms, then the laws of probability can be derived from that fact alone.
The physical equivalent of the Dutch Book Theorem is "I cut the cake in half, but you choose which piece I get." Here it is I chose the odds, you choose which bets to place.
idioms pejorative-language technical
idioms pejorative-language technical
edited Mar 17 at 16:10
Dave Harris
asked Mar 14 at 0:15
Dave HarrisDave Harris
1355
1355
2
Bogus assumption on its etymology makes void all the rant that pretends to be motivation to your questions. In other words, you know not if Dutch book is an example of the name of a concept with a racist origin.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:33
The answer to your first question is yes
– samgak
Mar 14 at 0:37
1
@user337391 your post is in bad faith. You assume that I did not investigate the etymology. What caused me to investigate it is that I am using the Dutch Book theorem heavily in a paper at the moment. Curiosity caused me to look at such a strangely named theorem. I cannot definitively state that its origin is pejorative as there are conflicting sources, but only one of them would be positive. It also isn't a rant. A technical definition of a Dutch book would imply the person is either irrational, stupid, or cannot keep their records straight.
– Dave Harris
Mar 14 at 0:45
here's a troublesome one. Siamese connection
– Phil Sweet
Mar 14 at 0:45
1
@DaveHarris I didn't assume it. I know that you didn't and are making up that etymology. Moreover, the concept of a Dutch book has no negative connotations. If you have a Dutch book betting strategy you have a strategy that inflicts a lose, therefore, you are winning with certainty. So, not just in etymology, but even in the area that you are pretending to be working, you don't know what you are talking about.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:48
|
show 1 more comment
2
Bogus assumption on its etymology makes void all the rant that pretends to be motivation to your questions. In other words, you know not if Dutch book is an example of the name of a concept with a racist origin.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:33
The answer to your first question is yes
– samgak
Mar 14 at 0:37
1
@user337391 your post is in bad faith. You assume that I did not investigate the etymology. What caused me to investigate it is that I am using the Dutch Book theorem heavily in a paper at the moment. Curiosity caused me to look at such a strangely named theorem. I cannot definitively state that its origin is pejorative as there are conflicting sources, but only one of them would be positive. It also isn't a rant. A technical definition of a Dutch book would imply the person is either irrational, stupid, or cannot keep their records straight.
– Dave Harris
Mar 14 at 0:45
here's a troublesome one. Siamese connection
– Phil Sweet
Mar 14 at 0:45
1
@DaveHarris I didn't assume it. I know that you didn't and are making up that etymology. Moreover, the concept of a Dutch book has no negative connotations. If you have a Dutch book betting strategy you have a strategy that inflicts a lose, therefore, you are winning with certainty. So, not just in etymology, but even in the area that you are pretending to be working, you don't know what you are talking about.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:48
2
2
Bogus assumption on its etymology makes void all the rant that pretends to be motivation to your questions. In other words, you know not if Dutch book is an example of the name of a concept with a racist origin.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:33
Bogus assumption on its etymology makes void all the rant that pretends to be motivation to your questions. In other words, you know not if Dutch book is an example of the name of a concept with a racist origin.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:33
The answer to your first question is yes
– samgak
Mar 14 at 0:37
The answer to your first question is yes
– samgak
Mar 14 at 0:37
1
1
@user337391 your post is in bad faith. You assume that I did not investigate the etymology. What caused me to investigate it is that I am using the Dutch Book theorem heavily in a paper at the moment. Curiosity caused me to look at such a strangely named theorem. I cannot definitively state that its origin is pejorative as there are conflicting sources, but only one of them would be positive. It also isn't a rant. A technical definition of a Dutch book would imply the person is either irrational, stupid, or cannot keep their records straight.
– Dave Harris
Mar 14 at 0:45
@user337391 your post is in bad faith. You assume that I did not investigate the etymology. What caused me to investigate it is that I am using the Dutch Book theorem heavily in a paper at the moment. Curiosity caused me to look at such a strangely named theorem. I cannot definitively state that its origin is pejorative as there are conflicting sources, but only one of them would be positive. It also isn't a rant. A technical definition of a Dutch book would imply the person is either irrational, stupid, or cannot keep their records straight.
– Dave Harris
Mar 14 at 0:45
here's a troublesome one. Siamese connection
– Phil Sweet
Mar 14 at 0:45
here's a troublesome one. Siamese connection
– Phil Sweet
Mar 14 at 0:45
1
1
@DaveHarris I didn't assume it. I know that you didn't and are making up that etymology. Moreover, the concept of a Dutch book has no negative connotations. If you have a Dutch book betting strategy you have a strategy that inflicts a lose, therefore, you are winning with certainty. So, not just in etymology, but even in the area that you are pretending to be working, you don't know what you are talking about.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:48
@DaveHarris I didn't assume it. I know that you didn't and are making up that etymology. Moreover, the concept of a Dutch book has no negative connotations. If you have a Dutch book betting strategy you have a strategy that inflicts a lose, therefore, you are winning with certainty. So, not just in etymology, but even in the area that you are pretending to be working, you don't know what you are talking about.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:48
|
show 1 more comment
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Bogus assumption on its etymology makes void all the rant that pretends to be motivation to your questions. In other words, you know not if Dutch book is an example of the name of a concept with a racist origin.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:33
The answer to your first question is yes
– samgak
Mar 14 at 0:37
1
@user337391 your post is in bad faith. You assume that I did not investigate the etymology. What caused me to investigate it is that I am using the Dutch Book theorem heavily in a paper at the moment. Curiosity caused me to look at such a strangely named theorem. I cannot definitively state that its origin is pejorative as there are conflicting sources, but only one of them would be positive. It also isn't a rant. A technical definition of a Dutch book would imply the person is either irrational, stupid, or cannot keep their records straight.
– Dave Harris
Mar 14 at 0:45
here's a troublesome one. Siamese connection
– Phil Sweet
Mar 14 at 0:45
1
@DaveHarris I didn't assume it. I know that you didn't and are making up that etymology. Moreover, the concept of a Dutch book has no negative connotations. If you have a Dutch book betting strategy you have a strategy that inflicts a lose, therefore, you are winning with certainty. So, not just in etymology, but even in the area that you are pretending to be working, you don't know what you are talking about.
– user337391
Mar 14 at 0:48