"-meister" as name suffix

[Jan Ivarsson]

Robert L. Chapman's New Dictionary of American Slang (2 ed. 1975) has
Perkmeister An official in charge of favors , jobs, patronage, etc. in a political organization; "after two years as executive aide to 'Perkmeister' John FW Rogers, who administers all agencies in the executive office of the president" - Washingtonian.
No date given, though, but definitely older than 1991.

Jan Ivarsson, Sweden

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jesse Sheidlower" <jester at PANIX.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: den 6 oktober 2000 15:16
Subject: "-meister" as name suffix


> I'm wondering about the use of the suffix _-meister_ as a jocular
> addition to (the first syllable of) a name, as in "the Jessmeister"
> or the like. There is an entry for this in HDAS, with the comment
> that it was popularized by a Saturday Night Live sketch that began
> in 1991, but recently a large number of people have told me that
> they used it in the early '80s or late '70s or earlier. Does
> anyone have any knowledge of use this early, or, better, a citation
> for such use?
>
> It seems very early to me, given the rough period that _-meister_
> in its broader sense, to indicate a person knowledgable about or
> expert in something specified by the initial element, appears to
> have become popular itself.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED