neck-tie social (new sense?)

[Michael McKernan]

David Barnhart wrote:

>DARE has
>
>necktie party (of course)
>necktie frolic (Carson Valley News, 1876)
>necktie sociable (Harper's New Monthly, 1871)
>necktie party (National Geographic, 1882)
>necktie social (n.q.--but ...

These are all forms of a social event, AKA 'necktie and apron party', where
the fabric used to construct a necktie (for a man) and an apron or other
garment (for a woman> were used as a 'blind' partnering device, with the
men bidding on the neckties, and ended up partnered with the woman of the
apron (etc.).  Most commonly, these were social dance events; the
apron/necktie partnering, as with all social dance partnering in the
Euro-American traditions, was a form of mock-marriage.

In the 'necktie carnival' cited below, however, the implication is very
different, in keeping with Barnhart's later citation:

>An Arizona Necktie Social.  ìHello!  Whatís this?î asked a benevolent
>resident of an Arizona town, as he came suddenly upon a necktie social in
>full blast.
>ìJust stringin up a dude,î explained one of the party, as he took a better
>hold on the rope.
>ìWall, thatís nawthiní to hang a man fer.î
>ìBut heís from Boston.î
>ìWall, donít hang the poor feller fer that.  Yer see he left the place.î
>ìAní heís stole a hoss.î
>ìSo hev the most of us, pardners.î
>ìAní he dropped Red Shirt Dick, this morniní.  Killed him dead as a
>doornail.î
>ìOh, that nawthiní,î persisted the benevolent resident.
>ìAní he sez eye-ther and nigh-ther.î
>ìYou donít say!î exclaimed the benevolent chap, excitedly.  ìUp he goes!
>Pull on that rope lively.î
>Fitchburg Sentinel [Mass.] (NewspaperArchive.com), March 24, 1888, p 2

Seems that the title of the social event has been comandeered as a cute
phrase for lynching...

>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Michael McKernan <mckernan at LOCALNET.COM>
>>Subject:      neck-tie carnival
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>-
>>
>>Seems to me that I have seen other instances of this euphemism for
>>lynching, but I can't place them...
>>
>>
>>http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/cowley/oldnews/papersup/cour31.htm
>>
>>Winfield Courier, February 1, 1883.
>>[Winfield Kansas]
>>
>>>Our most excellent Sheriff's many warm friends in this community deeply
>>>regret the terrible calamity that has befallen him. They are highly
>>>incensed toward the
>>>heartless villain who so desperately attacked his life. It was a thousand
>>>pities that this embryonic desperado was not given the benefit of a
>>>neck-tie carnival. While
>>>we respect the law of the land, and believe in maintaining its dignity;
>>at
>>>the same time we think it a wholesome idea to purify the country of
>>>atrocious, reckless,
>>>infamous dare-devils by summarily dispatching several of them in a manner
>>>that would be a forcible reminder and an impressive warning to bandits,
>>>outlaws, and
>>>vicious characters generally. It is to be hoped that Cowley County will
>>>not be thus ruthlessly deprived of her brave and noble Sheriff, and that
>>>the feelings of her
>>>honored citizens may not be sorely grieved by any sad ending of this
>>>tragical affair. HORATIUS.
>>
>>Michael McKernan


Michael McKernan