"Hokey Pokey" Originator Dead (1907)

[Towse]

Douglas G. Wilson wrote:

>> Hokey-pokey and ice-cream were linked terms long before Sam was born.
>> Question is: Why were the Italian ice-cream vendors called "hokey-pokey"
>> men? Because their goats were recalcitrant?
>
>
> Why is it thought that "hokey-pokey" referred to ice cream long before Sam
> was born?
>
> (1) When was Sam born?

According to the ref: 1877.

The Italian ice-cream vendor references pre-date 1877.

> (2) Can the term "hokey-pokey" for ice cream or so be found before about
> 1880?

"hokey-pokey" wasn't a reference to ice cream, but was a reference to
the Italian ice-cream peddlars. Check

<http://www.google.com/search?q=%22hokey-pokey%22+%22ice+cream%22+italian>

> The quotation about the Italians and goats is apparently from a 2002 book.
> Is the information verifiable?

Ah, I'm a bit of an amateur. I defer to the Shapiros &al. on the list.

The term "hokey pokey" for the Italian ice cream vendors "is thought to
have derived" from the Italian "ecco un poco" (here's a bit /or/ try a
sample -- rather than the usual etymological derivation from the same
roots as hocus-pocus.

The Italian vendor references (both USAn and Brit) can be found in Web
sites from hither and yon and *not* in the identical language, which is
what usually twiddles my "oh yeah?" antennae as a clue that there's
copying-n-pasting and probably not much of substance going on.

Before today, I only knew of the hokey-pokey in a left-foot-in and
right-foot-out universe.

Et vu?

--
Sal

Ye olde swarm of links: 4K+ links for writers, researchers and the
terminally curious <http://www.internet-resources.com/writers>