Peddling

/ˈpɛdəlɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Traveling around selling small items door-to-door or on the street, or spreading rumors and false information.

Etymology

From Middle Dutch 'pedde' (basket) and German 'Peddler'; originally referred to someone carrying goods in a basket, evolving to mean any traveling merchant, and metaphorically to spreading ideas or lies.

Kelly Says

In the 1800s, peddlers were information highways—they traveled between towns spreading news, gossip, and culture faster than any official gazette, making them both beloved and sometimes distrusted.

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