Origin of "hot dog"

[Douglas G. Wilson]

Of course the OED shows "hot dog" = "sausage" from 1900 (quoting "Dialect
Notes"), and Farmer and Henley (ca. 1900) show "dogs" = "sausages"
(university slang). Partridge claims "dogs" = "sausages" dates from ca.
1860 (but gives no example).

In the 19th Century, sausages were associated with dogs (NOT dachshunds!)
in two ways: (1) "dogs like sausages" (a sausage was considered an
appropriate treat for a dog, and the stray-dog population was routinely
suppressed by means of poisoned sausages in some cities); (2) "sausages are
made out of dog meat" (partly humorous). I looked up a few examples of the
second association (no doubt I'm duplicating someone else's earlier
presentation):

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"The Old Guard" 1(3):72 (Mar. 1863):

<<Hon. S. S. Cox says, he "can see no difference between Republican
emancipation and Congo abolition--they are separate links of the same
sausage, made out of the same dog.">>

"Mark Twain on 'The Sandwich Islands'", in "Boston Daily Advertiser", 11
Nov. 1869:

<<The man who can say that the Islanders' dish of plain dog "is only our
cherished American sausage with the mystery removed" is one whose
reputation fame will not suffer to die; and if Mr. Clemens can please
everywhere as he pleased in Boston last night, he will be sure to make his
fortune if he does not become a standard author.>>

"Punchinello" 1(20):309 (13 Aug. 1870):

[cartoon caption] <<"The Next Thing to It" / Scene -- North Adams. /
Butcher, (who is not quite prepared for the new order of things, to Chinese
delegation:) "Well, we're just out of dog, but we've some first-rate
sausages.">>

"Appletons' Journal" 5(107):447 (15 Apr. 1871):

<<A Chicago sausage-maker, with unusual candor, advertises his wares as
"dog cheap.">>

["Dog cheap" = "dirt cheap"/"very cheap" --DGW]

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One item is not entirely clear to me, but it's amusing anyway: a warning on
excessive animal-fat consumption from 138 years ago.

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"Scientific American" [New Series] 8(8):119 (21 Feb. 1863):

<<Pork and "pie" have a great deal to answer for in this country, and we
wish most heartily that the old Jewish law regarding the usage of the
former could be observed by our people. Few persons have digestive organs
of sufficient strength to master this meat, and whether we eat it boiled,
roasted or fried, or more indigestible still, in the shape of sausage meat,
it is almost certain to rebel against us. It is but seldom that we ever use
this food in our family, but we had the curiosity the other day to
ascertain how much fat or grease was contained in two big doggy-looking
sausages, weighing, perhaps, half a pound. The result was that over two
table-spoonfuls of clear lard was extracted from those two sausages alone.
We have frequently seen men, and women too, eating this sort of diet, and
have heard them complain that "it did not set very well;" we should think
not. A table-spoonful of lard between the sensitive coats of the stomach is
not apt to induce the most delightful sensations, and those persons who
persist in using pork in any shape, would find themselves much better off
without it. Down with the sausage! Let us have no more of it; it has
created enough distress already, and we hope that it will disappear from
our tables entirely. We are borne out in our dislike of pork by medical
testimony of a high character. Repeatedly have physicians declared that it
was unwholesome and so on; but still the people cannot relinquish the
forbidden food.>>

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What does "doggy-looking sausages" mean? "Doggy" means "doggish" or
"doglike" and it was a common adjective. Does the writer refer to sausages
which looked like dogs? Or to sausages which looked appropriate for feeding
to dogs? ["Doggy" = "dog-loving" was common, but I think applied generally
to persons. There was also "doggy" = "stylish"/"pretentious" but I think it
was later.] I suspect that the reference might be to sausages which looked
as if made from dog-meat; however it would be odd to point out the
fattiness of dog-meat sausage as an argument specifically against pork.
Perhaps "doggy sausage" had a specific meaning at the time, maybe =
"cheap/low-quality sausage"?

-- Doug Wilson