Whole Ball of Wax (1921), Winner Never Quits (1927), Garrison Finish (1891)

Tue Nov 26 11:08:47 UTC 2002

   A few notes before a big 3 a.m. "Fred Shapiro Special" from WASHINGTON
POST full text.

WASHINGTON POST FULL TEXT--The Library of Congress doesn't subscribe to this
yet, but certainly will in fiscal year 2003.  Some LOC librarians were given
a two-month trial subscription of the service.  This is what I used.  I have
the password, if anyone wants it.  I think it should be used just in the LOC
and on an LOC computer, though.

"HOT DOG" IN 1896--That item was just a line more.  It seems like a strange
context; perhaps I'll have to look at the actual page.

CALIFORNIA RESEARCH--Yes, ADS-L is also good for dialectology!  It's no
secret that I'm compiling work for the OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD &
DRINK, DARE, OED, MERRIAM-WEBSTER, HDAS, YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS, PAUL
DICKSON'S BASEBALL DICTIONARY, Michael Quinion/David Wilton/Jonathon
Green/David Barnhart/William Safire, and books/journals on new words and Wall
Street terminology and New York terms and much more.  I post these things,
and other people post other things.  It's just worked out that my work is in
many online posts, while dialectology is in AMERICAN SPEECH and on the
lecture circuit.  But neither area should be exclusive.

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WHOLE BALL OF WAX

   It's earlier than we thought!

   10 April 1921, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 11 ad:
   _Chauffeurs' Outfits_
      _Overcoats,_
      _Suits, Caps_
   New spring things are in for the man who drives your car.  The whole ball
of wax, so to speak, which includes:...
Parker-Brridget Co.
Nationally Known Store for Men and Boys
THE AVENUE AT NINTH

   11 January 1914, WASHINGTON POST, pg. SP1:
He'll draw his $12,500 per annum, bask in the sunlight of the fans' favor,
and let the poor magnates and his fellow players wind up the ball of wax he
set rolling as well as they can.
(Ty Cobb baseball story--ed.)

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A WINNER NEVER QUITS, AND A QUITTER NEVER WINS

   I had found 1928 in the NEW YORK TIMES, and I thought that was early.

   10 March 1927, WASHINGTON POST, pg. R1:
_Obligation for Character_
_Held Inherent in "Realtor"_
(...)
   "Never start anything without finishing it.  'A quitter never wins, and a
winner never quits.'"

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GARRISON FINISH

   The famous finish was in 1886.  We'll soon see what the BROOKLYN DAILY
EAGLE has.  The NEW YORK TIMES had the phrase in 1893.

   6 June 1891, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 6:
_BATTED OUT A VICTORY_
_The Senators Solve Knell's Curves in the Last Innings._
_MADE A GARRISONIAN FINISH._

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A TIE IS LIKE KISSING YOUR SISTER

   The online NEW YORK TIMES has January 1954, from the same coach.

   9 November 1953, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 12:
_After Middies Battle Duke, 0-0_
   _Navy Coach Eddie Erdelatz_
   _Defines a Football Tie_
By Martie Zad
   Navy coach Eddie Erdelatz came up with a classic definition for a tie
football game, especially a scoreless tie between Navy and Duke---"It's like
kissing your sister."
   No one asked the mild spoken Navy coach to explain.

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I WENT TO A FIGHT AND A HOCKEY GAME BROKE OUT

   Still rather late, but earlier than the online NEW YORK TIMES.

   12 January 1980, WASHINGTON POST, pg. C1:
   The unruly game envoked too many memories of that famous one-line: "I went
to see a fight and a hockey game broke out."

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STICK A FORK IN HIM, HE'S DONE

   Both slightly later than the 1953 that I'd posted.  The first is in a book
review.

   31 January 1954, WASHINGTON POST, pg. B6:
   Should you care to know how to cook an old rooster "so it will soften up
in the pot...put a brick in the pot along with the rooster, and when you can
stick a fork in the brick the bird is done."

   6 October 1958, WASHINGTON POST, pg. A21:
   Whenever Cookie Lavagetto takes out a faltering pitcher, he always says:
"I'm going to stick a fork in you; you're done."

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MORE BANG FOR A BUCK

   I searched for "buck" and "bang."  This is what I had found from the NEW
YORK HERALD TRIBUNE.

   21 December 1953, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 10:
_Defense Asks "More_
_Bang For A Buck"_
By Stewart Alsop

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ROCK AND ROLL

   10 November 1948, WASHINGTON POST, pg. B13:
   The new Duke Ellington Club will rock and roll to the rhythms of the
Golden Gate Quartet for the nextt few days.  The boys make a specialty of
swinging the old spirituals.

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HILL BILLY

   Eight citations, all from the name of the horse.  The first "hill billy"
three are:

13 October 1896, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 8.
19 November 1896, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 8.
18 August 1897, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 8.

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LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND STATISTICS

   Check the online TIMES OF LONDON for the 1800s.

   20 October 1901, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 19:
   London, Oct. 8.--Mr. Arthur James Balfour, leader of the Conservatives of
the House of Commons, in one of his facetious moods once designated political
newspaper comment as consisting of lies, damned lies, and statistics.

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G.O.P.

   The first "G.O.P." (Grand Old Party) is 24 July 1886, pg. 2.  I had found
it in 1883 and all over the elections of 1884.  This poor result really
shocked me for the WASHINGTON POST.