Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Famous Slogans and Catchphrases in American History [Paperback]

Jan R. Van Meter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2009

“By necessity, by proclivity, by delight,” Ralph Waldo Emerson said in 1876, “we all quote.” But often the phrases that fall most readily from our collective lips—like “fire when ready,”  “speak softly and carry a big stick,” or “nice guys finish last”—are those whose origins and true meanings we have ceased to consider. Restoring three-dimensionality to more than fifty of these American sayings, Tippecanoe and Tyler Too turns clichés back into history by telling the life stories of the words that have served as our most powerful battle cries, rallying points, laments, and inspirations.

 

In individual entries on slogans and catchphrases from the early seventeenth to the late twentieth century, Jan Van Meter reveals that each one is a living, malleable entity that has profoundly shaped and continues to influence our public culture. From John Winthrop’s “We shall be as a city upon a hill” and the 1840 Log Cabin Campaign’s “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” and Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” each of Van Meter’s selections emerges as a memory device for a larger political or cultural story. Taken together in Van Meter’s able hands, these famous slogans and catchphrases give voice to our common history even as we argue about where it should lead us.

 

“As Van Meter argues, these are important ‘memory devices for a larger story.’ . . . The author has thoroughly researched all the catchphrases . . . . This book would make delightful in-flight reading or a nice gift for a trivia buff. Recommended.”—Choice

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As the great philosopher George Santayana would have said, ‘those who cannot remember the past . . . should simply read Jan Van Meter’s Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.’ Van Meter’s greatest hits collection of slogans is the catchiest ever retelling of American history. It’s like the greatest minds of Madison Avenue sat down to write a history book. They don’t make sound bites like they used to!”—Mo Rocca, author of All the Presidents’ Pets

(Mo Rocca, author of All the Presidents' Pets )

 “Van Meter’s book is a delightful, richly informative, deeply researched, and fully contextualized work. It is also significant because so many of these slogans permeate American discourse and illuminate national values. Moreover, it’s also fascinating! Who knew that ‘duck and cover’ came from cold war security concerns?”—Michael Kammen, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning People of Paradox

(Michael Kammen, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning People of Paradox )

“I read Tippecanoe and Tyler Too with immense enjoyment. Van Meter has selected the most interesting and important phrases in American history and written wonderful essays explaining the origins, significance, and context of each. These essays not only illuminate but also entertain as they present the fascinating background of the slogans that have played such a crucial role in our political and cultural life, ranging from ‘I have a dream’ to ‘Say it ain’t so, Joe.’ I eagerly compared the information about origins with that in my now-standard volume, The Yale Book of Quotations, and was impressed to find that in a number of instances Van Meter has unearthed earlier evidence than that in the YBQ.”—Fred R. Shapiro, editor of The Yale Book of Quotations
 

(Fred R. Shapiro, editor of The Yale Book of Quotations )

“Jan Van Meter has written a fascinating, eclectic history of America, wound around the slogans and catchphrases that have punctuated the past four centuries. His prose pleases, his knowledge imparts confidence, and his selection of memorable phrases will delight all who vaguely remember them from their youth.”—Joyce Appleby, author of A Restless Past

(Joyce Appleby, author of A Restless Past )

“Van Meter writes a brief essay setting each quote in historical context, and his compositions are concise, lucid and factual. Together, they make up an excellent refresher summary of American history. . . . This is a pick-and-choose book, both entertaining and informative. And if you can master all fifty-seven quotes, one might safely say, ‘You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.’ ”—Literary Review
 
 
 
 

(Literary Review (UK) )

"This book would make delightful in-flight reading or a nice gift for a trivia buff."

(Choice )

About the Author

Jan R. Van Meter is a former public relations executive, CIA intelligence analyst, English professor, and speechwriter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; Reprint edition (November 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226849694
• ISBN-13: 978-0226849690
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Page Turner, November 14, 2008

By 

Eric A. Blinderman (Fairfield, Conn.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Famous Slogans and Catchphrases in American History (Hardcover)

A "so that's where that comes from!" on every page. To now, one could only imagine the first time one of these famous slogans or sayings was uttered or written. Mr. Van Meter brings us back to those "a ha" moments. A fun read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The historic background of 60 American iconic phrases, December 8, 2008

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Famous Slogans and Catchphrases in American History (Hardcover)

Jan R. Van Meter has drawn on his experiences in public relations, CIA intelligence, speech writing and teaching English in putting together his first book. He describes the historical context of 60 phrases (listed in the first Comment) which have become a part of American culture.

The entries are well written, and provide a rather basic description of how each phrase fit into the history of the speaker or writer. In some cases, the phrase arose decades after the event, although Van Meter doesn't always warn the reader. Michael O. Eshleman reviewing the book for the "Library Journal" suggests checking the background of any of the slogans or catchphrases in The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When by Ralph Keye.

The University of Chicago has published an addendum to the book which gives a flavor of the entries here:

"Read My Lips; No New Taxes (1988)

"George Herbert Walker Bush needed to prove he was tough, tough enough to win the presidential election against the Democrat Michael Dukakis, tough enough to continue the legacy of the outgoing president Ronald Reagan, tough enough to erase his lingering reputation as an effete aristocrat and long-time government insider.

"The Bush campaign staff wanted to demonstrate his toughness, his devotion to the Reagan ideals, and his strong conservative convictions. And so, in his acceptance speech to the GOP Convention, Bush stared directly into the lens of the television cameras and grimly said:

*My opponent won't rule out raising taxes. But I will. And the Congress will push me to raise taxes and I'll say no. and they'll push, and I'll say no, and they'll push again, and I'll say to them, "Read my lips: no new taxes."

"Bush was elected, but less than two years later, with the federal deficit reaching record levels, Bush was forced to raise some taxes as well as cut spending. He was never forgiven by his own party's conservatives or by the media. Though Bush's approval ratings with the public improved following the first Gulf War, his slogan became a byword for political untrustworthiness."

These phrases come and go, of course, it's hard to predict which ones will stick -- "We Shall Be as a City upon a Hill" has been an icon for over 380 years -- will John McCain's "He's Already Measuring the Drapes" last as long?

Whatever the legs of any particular slogan, this collection is an interesting insight to American culture.

Robert C. Ross 2008

5.0 out of 5 stars American History, December 12, 2009

By 

Patricia Sue Riddelll - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Famous Slogans and Catchphrases in American History (Paperback)

The author has given us an incredibly meticulous work that makes American History fun. Each chapter stands alone as a story you will want to share with friends....mine have asked for the book as a Christmas present. Diverse resources enrich each chapter. One can visualize Van Meter searching for newspapers, journals, diaries and books in what must have been an incredible nunber of hours in many settings over several years. The final product is brillant and so rich in history that one wants to read each chapter more than once.Congratulations to the Professor. READ THIS BOOK!