Origin of the Term Shyster

Shyster has been one of the most difficult items for etymologists of English, but a Rosetta Stone to its origin exists: the previously overlooked 1843-1844 material in a New York City newspaper. This material contains an all-important conversation on shyster at the moment of its inception and permits the unearthing of the detailed story behind this term; very briefly, shyster arose as part of the editor's crusade against legal and political corruption in NYC and the attempts of the authorities to silence him. The present monography discusses the earlier unsuccessful attempts to find the term's etymology and then sets forth (and analyzes) the new material.