Derivation of the word oaktag

[Fred Shapiro]

On Thu, 19 Dec 2002, Mark A Mandel wrote:

> #He notes that in a previous issue (57.3 for fall 1982, p 189), David
> Gold had #suggested that "oaktag" is a New York City (and Newark, New
> Jersey) word. But #FWIW, it's not in the Dictionary of American Regional
> English.
>
> I knew the word growing up in NYC in the 50s-60s. I'm pretty sure I

I also knew the word growing up on Long Island in the 1960s.  The earliest
on New York Times Historical is:

1965 _N.Y. Times_ 26 June 15 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)  The youths
followed the shirt-sleeved candidate down Seventh Avenue, displaying
oaktag placards that read: "Lindsay -- a traitor to the G.O.P."

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
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