Antedating of schliemiel (1889)

[Peter A. McGraw]

I'll double-check the date, but I think the German romantic Adalbert von
Chamisso published his Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte in 1814.

Peter Mc.

--On Monday, February 23, 2004 11:00 AM -0500 Fred Shapiro
<fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:

> On Mon, 23 Feb 2004, Sam Clements wrote:
>
>> 14 Oct. 1889  _Sandusky Daily Register_   2/2
>>
>> <<The ancient Israelites called a man who was peculiarly unlucky a
>> Schlemiel.  No matter what his opportunities he was sure to have ill
>> luck. >>
>
> Here is what appears to be an earlier usage:
>
> 1870 _Hours at Home_ July 290 (American Periodical Series)  Some of the
> stories have the zest of novelty and quaintness.  That of "Anschel, the
> Schlemiel," for instance, is exceedingly clever.
>
> [This points to prior use: "But the most characteristic volume of Jewish
> stories which has lately appeared is that entitled _Friday Night: a
> Selection of Tales Illustrating Hebrew Life_.  These stories had already
> appeared in the _Jewish Messenger_, of this city; some of them are
> translations and adaptations, others original."]
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
> Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
>   Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
> Yale Law School                             forthcoming
> e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



*****************************************************************
Peter A. McGraw       Linfield College        McMinnville, Oregon
******************* pmcgraw at linfield.edu ************************