Only in the Rippersphere

[Geddy2112]

Whilst reading these boards I've come across a few words, phrases or mentions of things that I have only found in relation to Jack The Ripper. I've a few but will start off with -

'Graffito' - I've only every heard this mentioned in relation to the Goulston Street scribbles and always used/read the the other term 'graffiti.' I'm sure during the 70s if I'd shouted on the bus going home look at that amazing Punk Graffito I'd have had my head kicked in...

Anyone have any other examples?

[c.d.]

I was always under the impression that it was the UK expression versus the American expression. I could be wrong though.

c.d.

[andy1867]

"Ripperologist"......Like someone said on an advert
"He;s got an "Ology"

[Herlock Sholmes]

Whilst reading these boards I've come across a few words, phrases or mentions of things that I have only found in relation to Jack The Ripper. I've a few but will start off with -

'Graffito' - I've only every heard this mentioned in relation to the Goulston Street scribbles and always used/read the the other term 'graffiti.' I'm sure during the 70s if I'd shouted on the bus going home look at that amazing Punk Graffito I'd have had my head kicked in...

Anyone have any other examples?

It’s the singular form of the plural noun graffiti as you probably know Geddy but, like you, I’ve only ever heard it in connection with Goulston Street.

[Geddy2112]

It’s the singular form of the plural noun graffiti as you probably know Geddy but, like you, I’ve only ever heard it in connection with Goulston Street.

Ahem, yeah I knew that

Just often wondered my they never said 'Goulston Street Graffiti'

My next one, and one I've used it is "Occam's Razor." The majority of times I've seen that mentioned is in Ripper circles.

[Lewis C]

I've seen "Occam's Razor" used many times outside of the Rippersphere.

A word that I've never seen used outside of Ripper circles is "marginalia".

[Tom_Wescott]

Whilst reading these boards I've come across a few words, phrases or mentions of things that I have only found in relation to Jack The Ripper. I've a few but will start off with -

'Graffito' - I've only every heard this mentioned in relation to the Goulston Street scribbles and always used/read the the other term 'graffiti.' I'm sure during the 70s if I'd shouted on the bus going home look at that amazing Punk Graffito I'd have had my head kicked in...

Anyone have any other examples?

It's a real word, but it was introduced as a derogatory term by Martin Fido in his 1987 book as part of his rather sweated effort to discard the Goulston Street writing as having been written by the Ripper. He apparently believed (perhaps correctly) that his suspect, David Cohen could not read/write English. He was unaware at the time that Robert Anderson had expressed as fact (as he felt his opinions were such) that the chalk writing was the work of the Ripper. Fido also introduced the obnoxious and misleading phrase 'Canonical Five Victims' into our lexicon and several other mythos both in his book and later in A-Z. As a young man when I first got into Ripperology, the subject also introduced me to words such as 'memoranda', 'marginalia', and 'numpty' which–according to early Casebook posters–I most certainly am.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott