Lawsonize

English

Etymology

Lawson +‎ -ize. Named after American businessman Thomas W. Lawson, co-founder of the controversial Amalgamated Copper Mining Company and later author of Frenzied Finance, which told the story of the amalgamation in an aggressively one-sided manner.

Verb

Lawsonize (third-person singular simple present Lawsonizes, present participle Lawsonizing, simple past and past participle Lawsonized)

1. (obsolete, early 20th century, US, usually derogatory) To amalgamate.
   • 1906, The National Engineer:

     A little Lawsonizing might do the department mentioned a power of good in the way of housecleaning.

   • 1909, State Teachers Association, Proceedings of the New York State Teachers Association ... Annual Meeting, New York:

     Their spelling would often make Josh Billings envious and their logic is only in process and hasn't yet been “ Lawsonized.” But we don't worry over their crudity while they are learning to strike out.

   • 1913, Pacific Marine Review:

     I will add right here that if there was ever any industry in this country that needed Lawsonizing any more than the whaling and latter day merchant marine does, I have not heard of it.

2. (obsolete, early 20th century, US, usually derogatory) To harshly criticize, to use the press to condemn a rival business.
   • 1904, Irving P. Fox, The Spatula:

     Admitting Mr. Bok's right to play to the gallery if he wishes, why can't he play fair? Why can't he Lawsonize things he knows something about ?

   • 1905, Life:

     He could Lawsonize the theatrical world with some very diverting 'frenzied drama ,' no doubt.

   • 1917, The Magazine of Wall Street:

     [T]he time was when the public feeling against the Standard Oil has been Tarbellized and Lawsonized into almost a fever-heat.