Card sharp versus card shark

[Page Stephens]

An interesting transformation of the use of the word card sharp or shark
occurred in the cartoons of Willard Mullin--I hope I have the name
right--who used to draw sports cartoons for among other publications The
Sporting News.

He represented the Brooklyn Dodgers AKA "Dem Bums" as a fat out of shape Bum
smoking a cigar. He represented The St. Louis Cardinals as a slick riverboat
gambler which is, of course derived from their nickname which was the Cards.

It also referred to St. Louis' position on the Mississippi River.

The origin of the nickname first Cardinals and later Cards originated
because colors of their uniforms included cardinal red. Thus it was similar
to the origin of an earlier name of the AAA (St. Louis major league team)
and the later name of the American League team which was The Browns.

Over the years the nickname became associated with the bird of the same
name thus the Cardinal signature which consists of two redbirds sitting on a
baseball bat.

The same thing occurred with the St. Louis AL team, the Browns whose name
originally referred to the color of their uniforms but who later adopted as
their symbol an elf, i.e. a Brownie.

This brings up the problem of a variety of professional sports team names
which originally dealt with the color of their uniforms with the exception
of The Cleveland Browns in the NFL which were named for the late Paul Brown
who was the first coach of the team.

One of the more interesting team names is The Boston Red Sox who decided
this coming year for the first time in as I recall for more than fifty years
or so to actually wear red socks.

Then there are the Cincinnati Reds, originally The Red Stockings, whose
ownership during the McCarthy era attempted to change the name of the team
to the Redlegs with almost no success.

The Chicago White Sox in the AL got their name after the Chicago NL team had
abandoned the name White Stockings and eventually became the Cubs.

Etc. etc. etc.

For more information on this subject you need to look up or join SABR, the
Society of American Baseball Reseach so that you are able to take part in
their discussions on the subject.

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 5:53 AM
Subject: Re: Card sharp versus card shark


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Card sharp versus card shark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> >Is there a connection between this "shirk" or "shark" and the gambler as
> >"shark" or "sharp"?
>
> I believe there probably is. At least "shark[er]" and "shirk[er]" in the
> senses "gambler/swindler/parasite/etc." seem to reflect the same German
> word (apparently "schork" or so, = modern "Schurke" = "rogue" or so, I
> think) [OED presents this connection]. "Sharp[er]" is very similar; its
> exact relationship to "shark[er]" is uncertain, AFAIK.
>
> -- Doug Wilson