Mebbeso (1893, 1904)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   From William Safire's "On Language" column this Sunday (which also
mentions Michael Quinion):

MEBBESO

Whenever I want to express skepticism, I eschew the dull maybe, the sneering
sure, the pompous perhaps and turn to the dialect compound mebbeso. Readers
have asked for its derivation.

Could it be from the Maybeso Valley on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska?
Creeks in that state leading to some unknown outlet sometimes carry that name.
Also, in a 1938 Oklahoma slave narrative, an aged woman named Lucinda Davis,
raised by Creek Indians, is quoted as saying, ''Maybeso dey buy demselves out.''
William Sydney Porter -- O. Henry -- used it in a 1907 Western short story.

I'm not from the Southwest or Alaska, and it is unlikely that I picked up
this frontier-ish locution at the Bronx High School of Science. But I was an avid
fan of the radio series ''The Lone Ranger'' and may have picked it up from
dialogue placed in the mouth of the faithful sidekick, Tonto. That's
speculative. Could be. Mebbeso.



   This isn't fit to print, but here goes:


   28 December 1893, WEEKLY GAZETTE STOCKMAN (Reno, Nevada), pg. 4, col. 6:
   "Yesh, heap satisfact' man, an' all Injun like 'um," replied Dave.  "But
what I hear 'bout Tom Wren, lib Eureka?  Mebbe so he run Gubnor, I do' know."


   9 October 1904, WASHINGTON POST, pg. 3, col. 4:
   MEBBESO HE CATCHUM SLANG.
>From "As a Chinaman Saw Us."
   Heathen Chinee--It is very dull this week, Miss--...