"nickel"--Douglas Wilson's speculation

[Gerald Cohen]

    Douglas Wilson's speculation seems to be very much on the right
track, viz. that "nickel" in the 1913 quote may be short for "nickel
theater." I would just clarify it a bit: "nickel" seems to be used
below as a synonym for "vaudeville-type comedy" (the vaudeville
theaters may very well have charged an entrance fee of a nickel).

    So in the quote below, Ban Johnson (president of the American
League) is saying that sideline comedy (= "nickel") would be very
appropriate for the Washington team, whose  playing was supposedly so
bad it was a joke. As for  Clark Griffith, he was either the manager
or owner of the Washington team (I don't have the Baseball
Encyclopedia handy).

    Thanx for the assist.

---Gerald Cohen


>Date:         Wed, 26 Sep 2001
>From: "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
>Subject:      Re: Query: 1913 "nickel"
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>My naive speculation is that "nickel" is short for "nickel theater" or so.
>Mathews' "Dictionary of Americanisms" shows several citations for "nickel
>theater", "nickel show", "nickelodeon" from 1908-1914.
>
>-- Doug Wilson

>>
>>   Would anyone have any idea of the meaning of "nickel" in the quote
>>below? I draw a complete blank.
>>     The quote appears in the newspaper _San Francisco Bulletin_, Feb.
>>26, 1913, p.16/2; "Baseball Talk Heard in Sundry Leagues":
>>
>>"Clark Griffith wants the lid lifted on sideline comedy in baseball.
>>Ban Johnson contends that nickel should provide an outlet for surplus
>>comedians such as those of the Washington club."
>>
>>That's the entire item.
>>---Gerald Cohen