Namely, 42

NAMELY

eponyms (EP-uh-nimz)

words based on or derived from a person's name.

First Known Use: mid-19^th century

“What’s in a Name?”

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, 2.2­­

42: Ponzi scheme: an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks (from Charles Ponzi, 1882–1949, Italian-American swindler; first known use of word, 1920)

He fell—hard!—for a Ponzi scheme

And lost the savings of his life.

He tried to tell his trusting wife—

But she seemed in some pleasant dream

And didn’t seem to hear a word

That he had said. And then she spoke:

“I know you’ll think this is a joke,

But guess what I have just now heard?

“We sell our house—invest the dough

And get such huge returns! So great!

Now I don’t want to hear debate:

I’ve sold the house, and soon you’ll know

That we are rich beyond our hopes!”

And that was it—pure paupers now.

They’d lost it all, from stern to prow.

Then wrote a book: The Hopes of Dopes.

And sold a zillion copies, Yo.

They’ve now retired in Malibu

And live as royals often do.

They stare out in the ocean, though,

And think of ways they could invest

The fortune that they have amassed.

They think that it would be a blast.

But later? Broke and dispossessed.