Alligators in the Sewer (1907, 1935); Sitting Ducks; Mazuma; Pistol; Dump Cake

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER

   Alligators in the sewer?  Where are you from?  Certainly not New York.
There are no alligators in the sewer.  THE METS are in the sewer!
   Barbara Mikkelson (www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/gator.htm) researched
the NEW YORK TIMES and found exactly ONE story about alligators in the sewer.
 It's 10 February 1935.  You can read this story on the web.
   Mikkelson missed an earlier story:

   21 July 1907, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 9:
_ALLIGATOR IN THE SEWER_
_Quite a Baby, But it Nipped the Hand of the Finder._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
YADDA, YADDA, YADDA

   I couldn't find it.  Dory Previn had a song called "Yada Yada La Scala,"
reported in the NEW YORK TIMES, 6 June 1971, pg. D22, but we have earlier.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
SITTING DUCKS

   Nothing early here.

   2 April 1941, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 6:
   The eight-inch-gunned cruiser of the Italians...were caught like sitting
ducks beneath the great rifles of the British battleships.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR

   2 August 1938, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 23:
   From Montauk comes another interesting story, destribed by Walt Willis as
"close, but no cigar."

   This is surprisingly late for the first hit.  William Safire discussed
"close, but no cigar" in a 6 April 1980 column, but gave no dates.
   That Safire column also stated that Harry N. Allen coined the word
"taxicab."  ("The 'cab' part was a natural," he told the New York Times, in
1974, 40 years after the first taxicabs appeared.)  That should be 1947, not
1974.  And Allen didn't coin "taxicab" in 1907, because the word was in the
NEW YORK TIMES in 1899!
   Alas, the historical dangers of NEW YORK TIMES full text!   All the errors
that it saw fit to print are still there!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
MAZUMA

   12 January 1905, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 2:
   Myer looked at the pile of money and ecstatically murmured "Mazuma."

   The RHHDAS cites the slang experts TAD 1901, Cullen 1902, Ade 1903, and O.
Henry 1904.
   There are two earlier NEW YORK TIMES hits.  On 6 September 1890, pg. 3,
there is a horse called "Mazumah."  On 28 October 1890, pg. 3, there is a
horse called "Mazuma."
   Like "skyscraper" and "hillbilly," another horse name antedate!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
PISTOL=PASTRAMI

   This was mentioned in that 60 MINUTES segment with David Shulman that was
filmed when Shulman ordered pastrami at the Carnegie Deli.  This is the
earliest hit I could find.

   14 September 1991, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. B1:
   Want scrambled eggs?  That's "wreck two."  Rye bread is "whiskey," and
anything toasted is "down."  Pastrami is "pistol."  A Western omelete is a
"cowboy."  Franks and beans are "FBI."  Tuna on toast with lettuce and
tomatoes is "merry Christmas."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
GRAPE NUTS PUDDING

   The Sterns were eating this in Roadfood places all over New England.
Grape Nuts were first made in 1898.

   16 July 1903, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 3:
   The same for luncheon, then for the night dinner have a good generous
portion of meat, one or two vegetables, a Grape Nuts pudding, and a cup of
Postum coffee, and insist on the thick cream.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------
DUMP CAKE

   John Mariani's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD & DRINK is cryptic and
provides no date:

_dump cake._  A cake made by "dumping" the ingredients directly into the
baking pan, mixing them, and baking the batter.

   The NEW YORK TIMES has a mention of "Grandmother's Dump Cake" on 19
February 1984, pg. WC3.    This will have to do until I search all my papers
for earlier.  From MOUNTAIN MEASURES: A COLLECTION OF WEST VIRGINIA RECIPES
(Junior League of Charleston, WV, 1974), pg. 302:

      _"DUMP" CAKE_
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 large can cherry pie filling
1 large box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 sticks margarine, cut in squares
   Grease 9" x 13" cake pan.  Dump in the pineapple and spread around the
pan.  Spread the cherries on top of that, then sprinkle the cake mix over the
fruits.  Add the nuts and place squares of margarine on top.  Bake at 250
degrees for one hour.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 8 to
12.
   _Mrs. Charles B. Gates, Jr._