The "Word for Words" site gives this
(http://plateaupress.com.au/wfw/spindoc.htm)
quote
SOME time ago a reader asked the apparently simple question: "Where and when
did the term spin doctor come from?" A spin doctor, for those who do not
follow politics too closely, is a political "minder" responsible for
ensuring that others interpret an event from a particular point of view.
The spin in question comes from pool and baseball, according to Graeme
Donald's Dictionary of Modern Phrase, "relating to a ball struck by the cue
or pitched in such a way as to behave deceptively in travel due to what is
known in British circles as 'side' or spin. The original spin doctor was a
wily pool shooter or ball pitcher who could make the ball appear to travel
true but in reality behave unpredictably."
Donald (who used to write on words for The Courier-Mail) does not give
dates, but spin as in "slant" or "interpretation" dates from about 1984. The
earliest reference to spin doctor I have come across is 1990. Any earlier
citations will be welcomed.
unquote
and Merriam Webster's "Words for the Wise" transcript
(http://www.m-w.com/wftw/00may/052400.htm) gives this
quote
We don't know how to put the correct spin on this one, so we'll just admit
that we misplaced the address of the listener who asked for the story behind
the term spin doctor.
The verb spin is one of the oldest words in our language; in fact, even
since English has been a language, folks have been using spin to mean "to
draw out and twist fiber into yarn or thread." That sense spun off plenty of
other spin senses too: everything from "gyrate" and "reel," to "move swiftly
as if on wheels and to shape into threadlike form in manufacture."
One spin spin-off that didn't appear until the 1800s was the noun spin.
Originally, that term referred to the act of spinning or twirling something,
or to an instance of spinning or of spinning something. Over time, spin also
found specific applications in aeronautics and physics. Then, in the late
1900s, spin developed yet another sense: "a special point of view, emphasis,
or interpretation." Politicians soon put their own spin on spin, and by
1984, spin doctor had become a byword for "a person (such as a political
aide) responsible for ensuring that others interpret an event from a
particular point of view." Although spin doctor was born in the political
sphere, its use soon spread to other areas that command media attention,
such as Hollywood and professional sports.
unquote
best
Randolph
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