Antedating of "Banana Republic"

[Fred Shapiro]

The OED's first use of "banana republic" is dated 1935.  ProQuest
Historical Newspapers has this surprisingly early:

1912 _N.Y. Times Book Rev._ 7 Jan. 3  [O. Henry] had studied with his
quick, searching eye the rise and fall of certain banana republics.


Fred Shapiro


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------