"23 skiddoo"

[Fred Shapiro]

On Tue, 1 Oct 2002, Gerald Cohen wrote:

>     I always associated "23" (= scram, go away) with the twenty-third
> psalm, recited so often at funerals; the number connected with
> departing from this world may have become generic for rapid departure.
>
>     Cf. "take a powder" (scram, leave), originally referring to
> putting a poisonous powder in one's drink. Death-wishes have provided
> at least one expression for slang "scram," perhaps more.

I won't get back into criticizing people for blue-sky etymological
conjectures at this point, but let me ask Jerry, what is your evidence for
"taking a powder" originally referring to putting a poisonous powder in
one's drink?

Fred Shapiro


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