1908 article on "Spigotty" Land--origin of "spic"? Antedating of "spik"

[Sam Clements]

Joanne,

You're correct and I'm wrong.

The article does predate the OED cite for the term "spiggoty."  The 1908
cite spelled it "spigotty."  The only thing MW could do is change its
spelling of that word in the cite.

I guess I got carried away when I saw "spik d' English."  While the author
was telling us where the term came from(and it WAS a deprecating meaning
even then), it certainly isn't a use in the wild of "spik" or a spelling
variant to mean a Latino.

Sorry,

Sam Clements
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joanne M. Despres" <jdespres at MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: 1908 article on "Spigotty" Land--origin of "spic"? Antedating
of "spik"


> On 22 Aug 2003, at 17:03, Sam Clements wrote:
>
> > This article predates cites from OED and MW.
> >
>
> Predates cites for "spic," you mean?  (The eleventh Collegiate
> neither enters nor dates "spigotty.")  That your cite for "spigotty"
> antedates "spic" would be consistent with our etymology, which
> sees "spigotty" as the antecedent of "spic."
>
> Joanne M. Despres
> Merriam-Webster, Inc.
>
>
> Joanne M. Despres, Senior Editor
> Merriam-Webster, Inc.
> jdespres at merriam-webster.com
> http://www.merriam-webster.com
>