SUMMARY

This book addresses a specific central paradox: why is that those thefts that are called "fiddles" can involve serious financial losses, but are nevertheless seen, somehow as trivial? Diachronic semantics - broadly, the history of changes in words' meanings - is used to resolve the issue. Fiddle's history is consulted, and it is shown to have moved its central meaning from musical instruments, to sex, to nonsense, and, finally, to theft. It is suggested that this approach might have general application. Perhaps it can help resolve the tricky issue of the relationship between crime and class? After all, our word "villain" - criminal - originated in the word "villein" - villager. A "blackguard" was once merely a kitchen servant with special responsibility to keeping the hearth spotlessly black; a "knave", merely a youth; a "scavenger", an inspector; a "cadger" a dairy products transporter; a "cheater" a legal clerk; a "brigand" a foot soldier. And so on.

Natural Criminology is available from the Scottish Centre for Criminology, price £10.

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