[Ads-l] Antedating of "Strip Poker"
ADSGarson O'Toole
adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Wed Oct 9 20:40:25 UTC 2019
Mark Mandel wrote:
> Unless I have skimmed past it, I haven't seen any mention
> in this discussion the quite possibly relevant "lose one's shirt".
The OED entry that I displayed included "to lose one's shirt: to lose
all one's possessions". However, I typically limit the size of
excerpts to comply with copyright law. So I cut out most of the
citations. The first pertinent citation for " to lose one's shirt" in
the OED was dated 1935.
[Excerpt from 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.
1935 E. B. Mann Thirsty Range xi. 144 He hit the market..about the
time the bottom dropped out of it. He lost his shirt!
[Begin from OED]
> On Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 3:51 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Right, LH. The New Testament does refer to soldiers gambling for the
> > clothes of another person (Jesus), and Dylan's lyrics contemplating a
> > failed marriage apparently allude to this.
> >
> > https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+27%3A35&version=KJV
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > Matthew 27:35 King James Version (KJV)
> > And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it
> > might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my
> > garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 3:29 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Gambling for one’s clothes can be dangerous, even when one isn’t among
> > the gamblers...
> > >
> > > In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
> > > I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
> > > I offered up my innocence I got repaid with scorn
> > > Come in, she said
> > > I'll give ya shelter from the storm
> > >
> > > —Dylan, “Shelter from the storm”, _Blood on the Tracks_
> > >
> > > > On Oct 9, 2019, at 3:11 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > 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
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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