"Blue Plate Special"

[Fred Shapiro]

Since Barry is in Shangri-La somewhere, someone has to keep up the food
antedatings.  The OED, as would not surprise Barry, doesn't do too well on
"blue plate special."  Its first use is dated 1961, but Damon Runyon
published a book with that title in 1934.  Still earlier is the following
from Barry's favorite newspaper:

1926 _N.Y. Times_ 27 May 23  (adv't) THE FAMOUS OLD SEA GRILL LOBSTER AND
CHOP HOUSE ... BLUE PLATE SPECIALS.

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Public Services     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  and Lecturer in Legal Research            Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
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