Kangaroo court
A kangaroo court is "a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted".[1]
Etymology
The term kangaroo court may have been popularized during the California Gold Rush of 1849.[citation needed] The first recorded use is from 1853 in a Texas context.[2][failed verification] It comes from the notion of justice proceeding "by leaps", like a kangaroo.[2] The phrase is considered an Americanism and is still in common use[1].
As informal proceedings in sports
The term is sometimes used without any negative connotation. For example, many Major League Baseball teams have a kangaroo court to punish players for errors and other mistakes on the field, as well as for being late for a game or practice, not wearing proper attire to road games, or having a messy locker in the clubhouse. Fines are allotted, and at the end of the year, the money collected is given to charity. The organization may also use the money for a team party at the end of the season.[3]
In 1975, the Cleveland Indians of the American League held a kangaroo court where players were fined one dollar for silly offenses,[4] and the New York Yankees players have held several such mock "courts" in their clubhouse throughout the team's history.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "kangaroo court". Merriam-Webster: Dictionary (online). Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ^ a b "kangaroo court" dictionary.com
- ^ Bouton, Jim (1990). Ball Four (2nd ed. ed.). Wiley. ISBN 0-02-030665-2.
{{cite book}}:|edition=has extra text (help) - ^ Schneider, Russell J. (1976), Frank Robinson: The Making of a Manager, New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, ISBN 0-698-10731-4.
- ^ Kangaroo court is in session | Bombers Beat