Ash heap of history

The phrase "ash heap of history",^{[n 1]}is a derogatory metaphoric reference to oblivion of things no longer relevant.^[1]

In 1887 the English essayistAugustine Birrell(1850–1933) coined the term in his series of essays, "Obiter Dicta":that great dust heap called 'history.'^[1]

A notable usage was that of the RussianBolshevik Leon Trotskyreferring to theMensheviks:"Go where you belong from now on – into the dustbin of history!" as the Menshevik faction walked out of theAll-Russian Congress of Sovietson 25 October 1917 inPetrograd.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^{[n 2]}

In a speech to theBritish House of Commons,on 8 June 1982, U.S. PresidentRonald Reaganlater responded that "freedom and democracy will leaveMarxismandLeninismon the ash heap of history ".^[6]

Similar expressions are"sink into oblivion","fall into oblivion","drop off radar", "fall off radar".Lethe,in Greek mythology, a river of oblivion, gave rise to the Russian expression of the same kind: "sink into Lethe" (кануть в лету).

Notes[edit]

^Alternatively: "dustbin of history", "dust heap of history", "trash heap of history", "garbage heap of history", and "ashcan of history".^[1]
^Trotsky actually said "насвалкуистории "," to the dump of history ".

References[edit]

^^a ^b ^cSafire, William (16 October 1983)."On Language; Dust Heaps of History".The New York Times.Retrieved13 March2016.
^Liberman, Mark (23 December 2011)."The What of History?".Language Log.Retrieved23 December2011.
^Sonne, Paul,"The Dustbunnies of History"^[usurped],The Oxonian Review8 June 2009 • Issue 9.7.ISBN 978-0-571-22875-1
^Bertrand M. Patenade (2009)Stalin's Nemesis: The Exile and Murder of Leon Trotsky,Faber and Faber, pp. 193–194, 352.ISBN 978-0-571-22875-1
^Maureen Healey (2004),"11 Dictator in a Dumpster: Thoughts on History and Garbage",in Alun Munslow, Robert A. Rosenstone (ed.),Experiments in Rethinking History(illustrated ed.), Routledge, p. 225,ISBN 978-0-415-30146-6
^Pipes, Richard (3 June 2002)."Ash Heap of History: President Reagan's Westminster Address 20 Years Later".Heritage Foundation. Archived fromthe originalon 17 September 2013.Retrieved13 February2007.

[2] Alternatively: "dustbin of history", "dust heap of history", "trash heap of history", "garbage heap of history", and "ashcan of history".^[1]

[7] Trotsky actually said "насвалкуистории "," to the dump of history ".

[Safire1983-1] Safire, William (16 October 1983)."On Language; Dust Heaps of History".The New York Times.Retrieved13 March2016.

[3] Liberman, Mark (23 December 2011)."The What of History?".Language Log.Retrieved23 December2011.

[4] Sonne, Paul,"The Dustbunnies of History"^[usurped],The Oxonian Review8 June 2009 • Issue 9.7.ISBN 978-0-571-22875-1

[5] Bertrand M. Patenade (2009)Stalin's Nemesis: The Exile and Murder of Leon Trotsky,Faber and Faber, pp. 193–194, 352.ISBN 978-0-571-22875-1

[6] Maureen Healey (2004),"11 Dictator in a Dumpster: Thoughts on History and Garbage",in Alun Munslow, Robert A. Rosenstone (ed.),Experiments in Rethinking History(illustrated ed.), Routledge, p. 225,ISBN 978-0-415-30146-6

[8] Pipes, Richard (3 June 2002)."Ash Heap of History: President Reagan's Westminster Address 20 Years Later".Heritage Foundation. Archived fromthe originalon 17 September 2013.Retrieved13 February2007.

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