“Southern trees bear a strange fruit,” sang Billie Holiday, “Blood on the leaves and blood at the root.” What is this strange fruit? Quickly, we get the answer: “Black bodies swingin’ in the Southern breeze/ Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees”AdvertisingIt is strange fruit. But reality is always calling out for new words to be added to our dictionaries. The word “lynching” was coined in the 18th century American South in the sense of a legal term. Sometimes, it calls out for simple words with straight meanings.

Source: Indian Express October 11, 2019 18:33 UTC