Tokay (1696)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

TRAVEL THRO GERMANY, BOHEMIA, SWISSERLAND, HOLLAND, AND OTHER PART OF EUROPE
by Charles Patin
London: A. Swall
1696

Pg. 35 (HUNGARY):  ...there are Wines that have the strength and delicious taste of those of _Spain_, and that even excell'em in both, as that of _Tokay_, there are also some others as strong as Brandy.
(OED and M-W both have 1710--ed.)

Pg. 85:  I also observe'd there, Turbans of a hundred various Fashions...
("Turban" is usually not this spelling before this date--ed.)

(The below is to warn you about these vast hoards of U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT readers we may be getting--ed.)
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04/22/2002
U.S. News & World Report


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For every passionate pursuit, there is an equally ardent Web site--several, more than likely. Here's a mini browsing guide, inspired by Banana Sculptor subjects:
Word sleuthing


New Yorker Barry Popik has challenged the prevailing theory of who coined the term "hot dog" (Yale students in the 1890s, not food vendors in New York). He's a regular on the American Dialect Society's E-mail lists. www.americandialect.org
Kiting

Coauthor Howard Means found Ann and Sam Ritter through their extensive kiting Web site, www.provide.net/~fly quad. For more on kiting, also see www.aka.kite.org.

Tree gazing

James Pettus of Washington, D.C., finds repose in the design and appreciation of his many bonsai trees. And he just happens to live near the National Bonsai Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum: www.usna.usda.gov.

Sheepshead

Over 32,000 copies of Robert Strupp's guide to Sheepshead, the arcane Wisconsin card game, have been sold since he published it in 1978. Find his book, and more, at www.sheepsheadstore.com.

Baseball trivia

Claudia Perry of Jersey City, N.J., is an expert on the Negro Leagues and women in baseball. She's a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, a never-ending source of stats and minutiae for dedicated fans: www.sabr.org.