Yoots; Run for the Roses; That the Way It Is/Was

[Barry A. Popik]

YOOTS

"What's a yoot?"
--Southern judge to the Brooklyn character played by Joe Pesci, MY COUSIN
VINNY

     This is from the NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM AND SUN, 23 May 1955, pg. 15,
col. 1 (editorial):

_Is This Dis-Tressing Barber-ism the Cure?_
     Mr. Murray Robinson, raconteur, explorer and historian whose delightful
dispatches appear in this newspaper, has observed and duly recorded an aspect
of the child crime problem which we think has considerable significance.
     Today's "yoots" (Mr. R.'s term for moronic young no-goods) all have one
common trademark: A greasy profusion of hair pushed into a pompadour in front
and sweeping to an arrangement in back more appropriate to the behind of a
mallard.  The yoots themselves have an unprintable term for this hair-do
which refined publications have bowdlerized to "duck-tail."

     Eleven letters ("Cheers for Yoot Haircut!") were published on 27 May
1955.

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RUN FOR THE ROSES (continued)

"STUN FOR THE ROSES"
--Sunday New York Post headline.

>From Peter Chew, THE KENTUCKY DERBY: THE FIRST 100 Years (1974), pg. 3:
     In the decades that followed, Winn wooed New York sportswriters such as
Damon Runyon, Grantland Rice, Frank Graham, Dan Parker, Bob Considine, Bill
Corum, and Red Smith.  For such men, Derby week was often on the house, as it
was for such radio commentators as Ted Husing, Bryan Field, and gravel-voiced
Clem McCarthy.  The syndicated stars dubbed Winn's race "The Run for the
Roses."  The long homestretch at Churchill Downs became "Heartbreak Lane."
They churned out wonderful stories, often with an admixture of schmaltz, and
sent them across the land.

Jim Bolus, RUN FOR THE ROSES: 100 YEARS AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY (1974), pg. 42:
     Bill Corum, a young New York sportswriter (On the Journal-American, I
believe--ed.), attended the 1925 renewal and coined a name that proved to be
extremely popular--"Run for the Roses."

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THAT'S THE WAY IT IS/WAS

"That's the way it is."
--closing broadcast line of retired CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite.

    I came across this in the NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM & SUN, 24 May 1955, pg.
22, col. 1 (editorial):

_"That's the Way It Was"_
     In Lima, Ohio, yesterday they buried a young man who in less than 10
years had distinguished himself as a newspaper reporter, and lost his life
because he insisted on seeing for himself "the way it was."
     Gene Symonds, 29, died of injuries received when a rioting mob in
Singapore assaulted him as he went to cover the story.
     H. D. Quigg, United Press correspondent who worked with Mr. Symonds in
Korea, wrote yesterday of Mr. Symonds' fervent devotion to facts.  He told
how Mr. Symonds had reported a hideous accident others might have skipped.
This involved the accidental bombing of Korean civilians by American planes.
Asked why he did it, Mr. Symonds said simply: "Well, that's the way it was."
     That's the essence of good reporting, and nothing we could add would
embellish it as a tribute to this gentle young man from Ohio.