The Screw?

The cartoon above, by Sir John Tenniel, published in Punch, shows, among others, Disraeli and Robert Lowe. Part of the text reads ‘You Lowe, will write a paper on the ‘Application of the Screw.’ I wonder if anyone knows what the term ‘Screw‘ is referring to?

A hint perhaps…? Lowe is described as a Benthamite in his biography, Illiberal Liberal by Ruth Knight, 1966. The bio concentrates on his time in Australia, during the 1840s.

 Meanwhile, in his 1831 novel, The Young Duke, Disraeli refers to “The Screw and Lever”. All the context suggests he is referring to a philosophical radical (Benthamite) review, perhaps the Westminster Review .

 From either context I’d like to know what ’screw’ refers to,¹ and if both uses refer to the same thing. Lowe was not keen on widening the franchise, but many of his other policies reflect Benthamite concerns.

 Presuming the term does refer to the Benthamites, especially in the case of The Young Duke, it would be fair to think that in part it is a play on the idea of ‘utilitarian’, and that it is also referring to the association of the utilitarians with artisans and workers. However I am inclined to think that Disraeli would be playing with one or two more associations than that, making the phrase a little wittier. Similarly, if it survived over thirty years I suspect it had a little more to it.

 For more about The Young Duke, see here.

1. By the way, I know what you are thinking. First I have no idea if the word ’screw’ had that connotation then, and secondly, if  it did, it seems that any hint in that direction might be a little too risque for the era – or maybe not?  I guess a modern example of a non-sexual slang use of the word screw might be ‘I’m gonna screw the bastard’ (revenge), or ‘I’ll screw it out of him’ (intention to get something from someone). I don’t know that either of these necessarily has a sexual content – then again maybe I’ve just always had it wrong… [↩]