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
A documentary film called My Beautiful Stutter follows youngsters at a summer camp specifically for stutterers. It’s a place for finding acceptance, support, and confidence for navigating the larger world. And:, “The High Priestess of...
Deb in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, says that when her mother was disappointed or annoyed she’d say Wouldn’t that just cork you? The idea here is that in the same way that a cork that stops up a bottle, an unexpected or irritating event...
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!