Derivation of the word oaktag

[Jerome Foster]

I attended elementary school in Brooklyn in the 30's (P.S.105, P.S.103, and
J.H.S.220 to be specific) and oak tag was the common name for a rather
rough, yellow-tan heavy paper or light cardboard used for vaious art
projects and similar uses.

J Foster






----- Original Message -----
From: "Judy Yeh" <jyeh at MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 7:08 AM
Subject: Re: Derivation of the word oaktag


> I heard "oaktag" while attending elementary school in Jamaica, Queens,
> from 1985-1990. My teachers were all middle-aged or elderly, and I think
> they grew up (or at least lived most of their lives) in Queens, in
> neighborhoods like Flushing and Fresh Meadows. Come to think of it, I
> don't think my classmates used the term--only the teachers did--and I
> never heard it again after I finished elementary school. Many (perhaps
> most) of the teachers at my high school did not grow up in New York
> City.
>
> Judy Yeh