Snail mail

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

     The OXFORD DICTIONARY OF NEW WORDS (1997) has "snail mail," with a citation from 1991.
     OCLC WorldCat shows a book of poems by Ruth Torbert titled SNAIL MAIL (1958).
     In 1978, the postal workers were threatening to strike.  The U.S. Postal Service wanted to increase postage rates.  I was looking for something else, but found "snail mail" (title of a letter to the editor) in the PLAIN DEALER (Cleveland, OH), 24 July 1978, pg. 12-A, col. 5.  On 29 July 1978, pg. 22-A, there is an editorial cartoon of a snail ("U.S. POSTAL WORKERS") with a sign ("STRIKE THREAT").  The caption is: "Isn't that cute...He's telling us he wants to go out."