[Ads-l] "skeleton" (the sliding sport)

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Thu Feb 15 20:44:20 UTC 2018


Nowadays, twitter links do not bypass the Wall Street Journal paywall
(in my experience). In the past, twitter links did bypass the paywall.
Grason

On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 3:31 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> My latest Wall Street Journal column ties in to the Winter Olympics,
> looking at the origins of "skeleton," the terrifying sliding sport.
>
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-source-of-a-sporting-term-why-skeletons-are-haunting-the-olympics-1518715072
>
> If paywalled, you should be able to get to the column via my Twitter link:
>
> https://twitter.com/bgzimmer/status/964192975399063552
>
> The earliest "skeleton"-related cite I could find is from 1890, though
> it only merits bracketed treatment as it refers to the sled's
> "skeleton steel hoops":
>
> ----
> https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0EFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA369
> "Winter Sports in the Engadine" by S.T. Prideaux
> Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, Dec. 1, 1890, p. 369
> A modification of the America, which promises to become a favourite,
> has lately been introduced at St. Moritz by Mr. Bulpett, which has
> been constructed with special reference to this controlling power. It
> is a steel sled, consisting of two skeleton steel hoops, shaped to
> form runners on the under side, and flat supports for a board
> connecting the two on the upper side; the board protrudes beyond the
> runners, so that the rider may throw his weight aft, and lift the
> machine for steering purposes, when such a move shall appear to be
> necessary.
> ----
>
> Later in that same article (p. 371) is an early cite for the
> competitive style of "bobsled":
>
> ----
> https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0EFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA371
> A new form of sled -- called a bob-sled -- was entered by Whitney (an
> American) for the International. It consisted of two ordinary Americas
> -- one in front of the other -- joined together by a board, eight to
> twelve feet long, and three to four inches wider than the combined
> toboggans.
> ----
>
> The earliest I've found for standalone "skeleton" is from 1893:
>
> ----
> https://books.google.com/books?id=rBkAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA573
> C.W. Kennedy, "A Winter at Davos"
> Longman's Magazine (London), Oct. 1, 1893, p. 573
> The 'America,' which, in its most advanced form, the 'Spider' or
> 'Skeleton,' recently introduced from St. Moritz, simply consists of a
> plank laid on spring runners, is ridden head foremost.
> ----
>
> Two books from 1894 have plenty of "skeleton" cites.
>
> ----
> https://books.google.com/books?id=yqECAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA58
> Harry Gibson, _Tobogganing on Crooked Runs_ (1894), p. 58
> As with the old Swiss so with its successor, the solid wooden walled
> 'America,' and now the steel 'skeleton' holds the market.
> ----
> https://books.google.com/books?id=1fMWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA7
> Theodore Andrea Cook, _Notes on Tobogganing at St. Moritz_ (1894), p. 7
> Many names are connected with this gradual production of the fastest
> toboggan. To Mr. W.H. Bulpett is due the actual introduction of
> 'skeletons' into the St. Moritz tobogganing cupboards.
> ----
>
> --bgz
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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