Etymology of "mosh"?

[Fred Shapiro]

On Thu, 7 Sep 2000, Barnhart wrote:

> For what it's worth, the first dictionary treatment of _mosh_ (v.i.,
> n.), _mosher_, _moshing_, and _mosh pit_ appears in The Barnhart
> Dictionary Companion (Vol. 8.3, 1993).  The form _moshing_ appears to
> be the first in print (1987) followed shortly by the others.  Under
> _moshing_ the following etymology appears:

No one in this thread seems to have looked at the Random House Historical
Dictionary of American Slang.  The HDAS has a 1983 citation ("you're so
into the music and dancing that you don't think about getting moshed").
The etymology given by HDAS is "prob. alter. _mash_."

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
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