blute n. a newspaper. Editorial Note: This term and its definition have repeatedly been taken (as in the 2002 cite) from David Maurer’s The Big Con (1940), often without attribution, so most later citations for the word are not free-standing and, therefore, cannot be considered as additional support for the term. One of Maurer’s original sources for the term is mentioned in the 1982 American Speech article cited below. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...
A young caller from the Hudson Valley of New York wonders about his grandmother’s use of stemwinder to praise a speech she thought was excellent. In the early 1800s, people used pocket watches that had to be wound with a tiny key. Once someone...
In Elizabeth Hay’s novel “Late Nights On Air” a blute is a smoker who doesn’t inhale. This fits with the con concept. This is in contrast to a ‘clute’ who inhales but doesn’t smoke!