(Ans: AI) The term “whodunit” (a playful contraction of “Who done it?”) has a surprisingly specific origin story, moving from a critic’s joke to a global literary standard.
1. Who Coined It?
The credit generally goes to Donald Gordon, an American book reviewer.
* The Origin: He first used the term in the July 1930 edition of News of Books, a trade publication for American newsdealers.
* The Context: Gordon used it as a shorthand label to categorize “detective stories” or “mystery novels” where the primary goal for the reader is to deduce the identity of the culprit before the detective reveals it.
2. How Did It Become Popular?
While Gordon invented the word, several cultural factors turned it into a household name:
* Variety Magazine (1930s): The legendary entertainment trade paper Variety—famous for its “show biz” slang—picked up the term shortly after Gordon. They began using it to describe mystery films and plays, which helped it jump from the literary world to the broader entertainment industry.
* The Golden Age of Detective Fiction: The 1930s was the peak of the “Golden Age,” dominated by authors like Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, and Dorothy L. Sayers. Fans and critics needed a snappy way to distinguish these “fair play” puzzle stories from the grittier “hard-boiled” noir stories (like those by Raymond Chandler) that were also emerging.
* Snappy Marketing: Publishers realized that “Whodunit” was a perfect marketing buzzword. It was catchy, informal, and perfectly described the interactive “game” between the author and the reader.
Interesting Fact
Not everyone loved the term. Many “serious” mystery writers of the time, including Raymond Chandler, famously detested the word. Chandler considered it a “vulgarism” and preferred the term “detective story,” feeling that “whodunit” made the craft of writing sound like a cheap parlor game.
In Tamil movies, some popular whodunits are Athe Kangal (1967), Thadam (2019), Andha Naal (1954), Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (2016)