For the 1935 Three Stooges film, see Hoi Polloi (film). For the Scottish punk band, see Oi Polloi. For other uses, see HOI (disambiguation).
Hoi polloi
Origin/etymology
Greek
Meaning
"the many"
Hoi polloi (/ˌhɔɪpəˈlɔɪ/; from Ancient Greek οἱπολλοί (hoi polloí) 'the many') is an expression from Greek that means "the many" or, in the strictest sense, "the people". In English, it has been given a negative connotation to signify the common people.[1] Synonyms for hoi polloi include "the plebs" (plebeians), "the rabble", "the masses", "the great unwashed", "the riffraff", and "the proles" (proletarians).[2]
The phrase probably became known to English scholars through Pericles' Funeral Oration, as mentioned in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles uses it in a positive way when praising the Athenian democracy, contrasting it with hoi oligoi, "the few" (Greek: οἱ ὀλίγοι; see also oligarchy).[3]
Its current English usage originated in the early 19th century, a time when it was generally accepted that one must be familiar with Greek and Latin in order to be considered well educated.[4][5] The phrase was originally written in Greek letters.[6][7][8] Knowledge of these languages served to set apart the speaker from hoi polloi in question, who were not similarly educated.[6]
^"hoi polloi". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
^Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Book 2.34-46: "καὶ ὄνομα μὲν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐς ὀλίγους ἀλλ᾿ ἐς πλείονας οἰκεῖν δημοκρατία κέκληται " ("It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few").
^Rexine, John E. (September–October 1978). Review of The Scientist's Thesaurus: A Treasury of the Stock Words of Science by George F. Steffanides. Vol. 62. p. 291. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^"British studies: the eighteenth century, a guide to topics in the Michigan state university libraries' collections". July 15, 2003. Archived from the original on 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
^ ab"The Maven's Word of the Day". Random House. November 13, 1998. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
^Editors of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition "Blue plate special"; how to use "hoi polloi; "Peck's Bad Boy October 28, 2003, Jewish World Review.
^Lord Byron Lord Byron's Letters and Journals Archived 2005-12-19 at the Wayback Machine November 24, 1813.
Hoipolloi (/ˌhɔɪ pəˈlɔɪ/; from Ancient Greek οἱ πολλοί (hoipolloí) 'the many') is an expression from Greek that means "the many" or, in the strictest...
subgenre. The name comes from the Greek expression "οἱ πολλοί", Anglicized hoipolloi, meaning "the masses" or "the common people". The band has gone through...
Korean raw fish dishes Hoi polloi Oi (interjection) This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title HOI. If an internal link led you...
Shorts; nearly every film produced became a classic in its own right. HoiPolloi (1935) adapted the premise of Pygmalion, with a stuffy professor making...
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less-educated social classes, such as the barbarians, the Philistines, and hoipolloi (the masses), though very often also enjoyed by the upper classes. Matthew...
used as an insult PG – pìgu (屁股), buttocks P民 – pì mín (屁民), rabble, hoipolloi, ordinary people, often used ironically PLGG – piàoliàng gēgē (漂亮哥哥),...
(also 1934) with a young Lucille Ball, Pop Goes the Easel (1935), and HoiPolloi (also 1935), in which two professors make a bet trying to turn the Three...
applied to them). Hoi-Polloi Ring Herd: inveterate gamblers, who use "chow" as money. During attacks by the Chow Sol’jer Army, the Hoi-Polloi shove their individual...
Easel. Perhaps her most famous role was as Professor Nichols' daughter in HoiPolloi who Moe Howard tries to romance. While talking to him, she coos that he...
"Listen to the Mocking Bird" as the Stooges' official theme song) 10 HoiPolloi (August 29) 11 Three Little Beers (November 28) 12 Ants in the Pantry...
on March 2, 2012. Mattioli, Dana (October 27, 2011). "Hoity-Toity to HoiPolloi: Neiman Takes More Plastic". The Wall Street Journal. "Neiman Marcus Stores...
of HoiPolloi and JACK, a performing arts space in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Duffy has written and directed several shows with his theater company, Hoi Polloi...
Conspicuous consumption Conformism Consumerism Culture and Anarchy Dumbing down Hoipolloi Idiocracy Low class Lowbrow Mass culture Plebeian Populism Poshlost Vulgarity...
Hi-Fi – "Flavor of the Weak" (Stifler chases Finch out of his mom's room) HoiPolloi – "On My Mind" (Sherman, seduces Jessica) Transmatic – "Blind Spot" (First...
be recognized as substandard even when widespread; e.g. "the hoipolloi", where Greek hoi = "the". As a statistical change within a language within any...
La Brea Tar Pits, literally "the The Tar Tar Pits", from Spanish. the hoipolloi, literally "the the many", from Greek. Carmarthen Castle, may actually...
the Pacific coast. McHugh appeared in the Three Stooges short subjects HoiPolloi, Listen, Judge, and Gents in a Jam.[citation needed] It was in the latter...
(League of Nations). The somewhat obsolete meaning of the common people, hoipolloi, working class is visible in the brand name Volkswagen "people's car"...
"Violations", respectively. Schrager, Adam (1997). "Marina Sirtis: From HoiPolloi to Counsellor Troi". The Finest Crew in the Fleet: The Next Generation's...
mass society] is both reasonable and just". Civil society Consumerism Hoipolloi Media culture The Power Elite Social alienation Welfare state "Mass society...
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