Debunking

A while back I wrote about being a Geocache enthusiast. Another minor hobby that I have is Debunking. I try not to invest too much time into this activity since I am a devoted family man. Fortunately I have developed skills that allow me to Debunk quickly and efficiently.

Here is a quick outline about Debunking:

Definition: To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of

Word History: One can readily see that debunk is constructed from the prefix de-, meaning "to remove," and the word bunk. But what is the origin of the word bunk, denoting the nonsense that is to be removed? Bunk came from a place where much bunk has originated, the United States Congress. During the 16th Congress (1819-1821) Felix Walker, a representative from western North Carolina whose district included Buncombe County, carried on with a dull speech in the face of protests by his colleagues. Walker later explained he had felt obligated "to make a speech for Buncombe." Such a masterful symbol for empty talk could not be ignored by the speakers of the language, and Buncombe, spelled Bunkum in its first recorded appearance in 1828 and later shortened to bunk, became synonymous with claptrap. The response to all this bunk seems to have been delayed, for debunk is not recorded until 1923.

How it works: Let's say a guy like Paul, or Greg, or Zig publishes something that they believe to be true because it was in the newspaper or on the Internet and I get this feeling that something is not quite right (some have called this "Stevedar"). I do a quick bit of research and relay my findings to the publisher. We all love this. It is great team work and we all appreciate that we have done the best reportage possible. As a bonus, I get to debunk my own blog. It is a lot of fun.