You’ve Been Lied to About "Sabotage"

Описание: When you hear the word "Sabotage," you probably picture spies, explosives, or Mission Impossible-style destruction. But what if the true origin of this high-stakes word has nothing to do with bombs and everything to do with... footwear?

In this episode of Phrases Explained, we unlace the explosive history of sabotage. We debunk the famous "wooden shoe" myth you’ve heard (yes, the one from Star Trek) and reveal the true linguistic reality: that "sabotage" originally meant "walking noisily" or playing the violin badly.

We also dive into the fascinating 1944 OSS "Simple Sabotage Field Manual," where the precursors to the CIA taught citizens how to destroy enemy organizations using the most painful weapon imaginable: bureaucracy. Discover why your annoying workplace meetings might actually be a historical form of warfare.

In this video, you will learn:

Why the story about workers throwing sabots (wooden shoes) into machines is likely a myth
How the word evolved from "clumsy walking" to a strategy for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
The 1910 French Railway Strike that changed the definition forever
Actual instructions from the WWII Simple Sabotage Field Manual on how to "haggle over precise wordings" and hold endless committee meetings

0:00 - Intro
0:59 - The Wooden Shoe Myth
2:23 - The Linguistic Reality
3:53 - The Industrial Weapon
5:03 - The Simple Sabotage Field Manual
6:45 - Outro

#Sabotage #Etymology #History #PhrasesExplained #IndustrialRevolution #CIAManual #Linguistics #WWIIHistory #LaborHistory