Slang Word-Coiners (Mike Walsh: shyster)

[Gerald Cohen]

   First, my thanks to the ads-l members who responded to my query
about "Sheff." at Yale.

   Now, for the next slang word-coiner item: "shyster," coined by Mike
Walsh, editor of the 1840's NYC newspaper _The Subterranean_

    I've written two books on the subject: _Origin of the Term
"Shyster"_ and _Origin of the Term "Shyster": Supplementary
Information_. Both: Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Verlag. 1982 and
1984 respectively. All scholars who have examined this work have
given it their approval.

    Credit goes to Roger Mohovich (pronounced Muh-HOH-vich), formerly
newspaper librarian of the NY Historical Society, for discovering the
very valuable new material in _The Subterranean_ that I included in
the two books. (Credit is of course also given at the start of the
first book.)

   BTW, OED2 doesn't include my "shyster" material (even the
antedatings), but Jesse Sheidlower assures me that this gap will be
filled in the next edition. And Webster III incorrectly attributes
the origin of "shyster" to an attorney named "Scheuster."

    Both of my "shyster" books are now officially out of print, and
the second one is regarded as rare. There's a whole batch in my
office, however.

    Also, Barry Popik has located some additional "shyster" material,
now written up in a few articles. But this material is from well
after the key years (1843-1844) for the start of the term.

--Gerald Cohen