Jass 1913

[Ben Zimmer]

And now that I check the page image, I don't think the context was
ragtime at all. The item titled "Agreed" occurs far down in the
column, nowhere near the earlier items on sheet music. So there's
nothing suggesting this has anything to do with music -- just a
"yes"/"yas" variant in all likelihood.


On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 8:36 AM, Ben Zimmer wrote:
>
> Not sure if this has anything to do with jazzy "jass" (despite the
> ragtime context) -- perhaps just a variant of "yes" (cf. "yas",
> "yassuh")?
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 6:08 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
> >
> > America's Historical Newspapers
> > The State; Date: 01-03-1913; Issue: 7747; Page: 4, col. 6-7; Location: Columbia, South Carolina
> > Headline: Answering Back
> >
> >       "Sheet Music"
> > Greensboro News
> >  "Sheet music--snores," says the Columbia State. Aw, rag-time.
> >
> > Memphis Commercial Appeal
> >  The Columbia (S.C.) State spreads itself to say "Sheet music--snores." Which sounds like a wet blanket on harmony.
> > ....
> >       Agreed.
> > Greensboro News
> >  The Columbia State thinks it's curious how long down the man higher up usually is. Jass!

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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