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Etymology of Canvassing

The word “canvassing,” as in, going door-to-door passing out political information, has an obscure etymology. It’s thought to be related to the use of canvas material either for sifting things out or tossing someone in the air. Either way, it probably has to do with a kind of “shaking out” or vetting to discern the truth. This is part of a complete episode.

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