[Ads-l] Antedating of "Strip Poker"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent work, Peter.
I looked for instances that mentioned gambling for clothes, and found
the topic was too large to explore substantially in the limited amount
of time I allotted. So here are some miscellaneous citations.

A newspaper in 1924 reported that an archaeologist believed wagering
clothes was an ancient behavior. I do not know whether modern
archaeologists endorse this claim.

Date: August 23, 1924
Newspaper: Moline Daily Dispatch (The Dispatch)
Newspaper Location: Moline, Illinois
Section: Editorial Page
Article: (Filler item)
Quote Page 20, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
Nothing is new, not even "strip poker." An archeologist finds that the
ancient Mayans in Yucatan used to wager their clothes on a handball
game.
[End excerpt]

In 1811 "The Scots Magazine" published a book review that discussed
"Buenos Ayres". Gamblers would sometimes wager their shirts.

Date: November 1811
Periodical: The Scots Magazine and Edinburgh literary Miscellany
Article: The Present State of Buenos Ayres, &c.
Start Page 812, Quote Page 818

[Begin excerpt]
They stake, in an instant, all that they possess, always with perfect
coolness. When they have lost all their money, they stake their shirt,
provided it is of any value, and in that case the gainer gives his to
the loser, because no one has two.
[End excerpt]

The Oxford English Dictionary has citations for many phrases
containing the word "shirt" including "to bet one's shirt". The first
pertinent citation is dated 1892.

[Excerpt form OED]
shirt, n. 2. Phrases.
f. slang. to bet one's shirt, to put one's shirt on (a horse) = to bet
all one's money on. to get (a person's) shirt out, to cause him to
lose his temper. to keep one's shirt on: to remain calm (orig. U.S.).
to lose one's shirt: to lose all one's possessions.

1854   Spirit of Times (N.Y.) 4 Nov. 447/3   I say, you durned ash
cats, just keep yer shirts on, will ye?
1859   J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang 91   When one person makes another in
an ill humour he is said to have ‘got his shirt out’.
1892   Pall Mall Gaz. 30 Mar. 6/2   Bet thee my shirt Aunty Jane wins.
[End excerpt from OED]

In 1855 the London periodical "The Critic" published a review of the
book "The Chinese Empire" by M. Huc. Gambling for clothes was
described.

Date: March 15, 1855
Periodical: The Critic, London Literary Journal
Periodical Location: London, England
Article: Voyages and Travels (Book Review of "The Chinese Empire" by
M. Huc, 1855)
Start Page 135, Quote Page 136

[Begin excerpt]
Of thorough gamblers M. Huc observes:--
They cast aside every obligation of station, duty, and family, to live
only for cards and dice; and this fatal passion gains such an empire
over them, that they proceed even to the most revolting extremities.
When they have lost all their money, they will play for their houses,
their land, and their wives even, whose destiny often depends on a
cast of the dice. Nay, the Chinese gambler does not stop here, for he
will stake the very clothes he has on for one game more; and this
horrible custom gives rise to scenes that would not be credible, did
we not know that the passions always tend to render men cruel and
inhuman.
[End excerpt]


Date: February 27, 1883
Newspaper: The Daily Post (Pittsburgh Daily Post)
Newspaper Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Article: Colonel Blank: How He Won an Exciting Horserace at Los Angeles
Quote Page 3, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
When their money ran out the Spaniards bet their horses and saddles
and bridles, and some of them went so far as to wager their fine
clothes on the result.
[End excerpt]

An 1884 article described betting on a fish fight in Siam.

Date: December 28, 1884
Newspaper: The Times
Newspaper Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Article: A Novel Prize Fight
Quote Page 7, Column 3
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
The natives become so excited that they wager their clothes, wives,
and, in fact, themselves on the result.
[End excerpt]


Date: January 1, 1885
Title: The Morphine Habit  (Morphinomania)
Author: Professor B Ball M.D.
Translated from French for the Humboldt Library
https://books.google.com/books?id=la52Jz5G4d0C&q=%22their+clothes%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
Another example: The Chinese add to the passion for opium the passion
for play; so that when they have lost all their money they wager their
clothes, their wives, their children; and when they are completely
ruined they wager their fingers . . .
[End excerpt]


Date: November 15, 1903
Newspaper: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Newspaper Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Section: Sunday Magazine
Article: How Billy Hall Foiled the Game of the Sports Who Planned Bis Downfall
Quote Page 8, Column 5
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
Billy hadn't an idea that everything wasn't straight until a Kahoka
man offered to wager the clothes he was wearing against $25.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Mon, Oct 7, 2019 at 3:17 AM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> The Yale poker games were widely reported, from as early as April 5, 1904.  The New York Sun of that date (page 12) called it "pajama poker." They reported that they would play until one player had only socks left.  He would get a pair of pajamas to wear home, and would go back for his clothes the next day.
> ____

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