Antedating of "Banana Republic"

[Fred Shapiro]

On Mon, 18 Nov 2002, Michael Quinion wrote:

> I think I can beat that. From "Cabbages and Kings" by O Henry (1904),
> Chapter VIII: "In the consultation of this small, maritime banana
> republic was a forgotten section that provided for the maintenance of
> a navy"; and from Chapter XVII: "At that time we had a treaty with
> about every foreign country except Belgium and that banana republic,
> Anchuria".

Good show, Michael!  I wonder now whether O. Henry may have actually
coined the term.

Fred


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