Gotham

[jjoyce]

Have traced term to Salmagundi Papers by W.Irving. Would like to know its' etymological derivation. Anyone? I have not read the Salamagundi Papers so I am willing to take advantage of anyone who has ,albeit shamefacedly.

[Bandini]

Gotham =New York City:first used by Washington Irving, 1807, based on "Merrie Tales of the Mad Men of Gotham" (1460), a collection of legendary stories of English villagers alternately wise and foolish. There is a village of this name in Nottinghamshire, originally Gatham (1086), O.E., "Enclosure (lit. 'homestead') where goats are kept." It is unknown if this was the place intended.

[Xamonas Chegwe]

Gotham in Notts is a small village that is famous for scaring off tax collectors by the whole village pretending to be mad whenever they arrived. They pulled stunts like trying to fish the moon's reflection out of the village pond among others. There's not much there these days - but there are a few nice pubs, if your ever down that way.