Antedating of 'jarhead' 1931

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Fri, Nov 28, 2003 at 11:19:31PM -0500, Sam Clements wrote:
> OED doesn't seem to list 'jarhead' in any sense.  I could be wrong.

No, you're right, although we have recently drafted it.

> M-W uses only the derogatory  US 'Marine' meaning for the term(1943).
>
> RHDAS is the authority, citing an Army mule from 1918, and then a 1933
> useage as applying to a member of the US Army, especially a member of the
> football team, which had a mule as a mascot.

We've managed to antedate the literal 'mule' sense, but this is a
useful second cite for the 'Army football player' sense. Still not
sure what we'll do with this slight sense, but thank you.

> >From the Reno(NV)Evening Gazette, September 17, 1931, p. 12, col. 1:
>
>      <<However, the stars of the Army eleven have already begun to show
> their wares.  The big gun of the Jarhead attack is Nodgie Ganuzzi, for the
> last five years premier halfback on West Coast Army elevens.>>

Jesse Sheidlower
OED