"Second City" in OED

[Laurence Horn]

At 3:23 PM -0500 3/17/04, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>    "Second City" was added in the March 2004 OED update, just received.
>    The first citation with Chicago is--1980?  1980????  (There are also
>numerous "Glasgow" "second city" cites before 1933.)
>    No one read that I'd posted this to 1890?  That 1890 census made it
>official, but we have it a little earlier for Chicago on Newspaperarchive.
>    Every single thing I do, every day, you have to repeat a million times for
>everyone, and even then you have to repeat it over and over for those same
>people, and then you have to remind them that you're doing this for
>free, and of
>course no one loves you...
>
>

Actually, none of the quotes below really instantiates "Second City"
= Chicago.  What we need is a context in which "Second City" is used
outside of a defining or identifying example, as in "The Second City
Comedy Troupe" or whatever it was called.  Crucially, it must be
presupposed, not asserted, that Chicago is the Second City.  I'm sure
such examples can be found that are closer in time to 1890 than to
1980, but the ones below ("Chicago is now the Second City") don't
really do it in my opinion, although the 1899 one comes close.

Larry Horn

>(OED)
>_second city_, n.
>The second largest city in a particular country or region; (also) a city
>which is often regarded as the second most important in a country or region.
>   Usually with in or of, except when second city (freq. with the and with
>capital initials in this context) has become something of a fixed name for a
>particular city within a given country, as, for example, Chicago (in
>the United
>States), Birmingham (in England), or Glasgow (in Scotland).
>
>   1621 J. REYNOLDS Triumphs Gods Revenge I. ii. 40 Pauia (the second City of
>the Dutchy of Millan). 1726 SWIFT Gulliver (1976) III. iii. 152 Lindalino, the
>second city in the kingdom, was the first his Majesty visited in his
>progress. 1801 C. B. BROWN Clara Howard xiii. 111 The second city in
>our country was
>familiar to my fancy by description. 1869 'M. TWAIN' Innocents Abroad xxiv.
>253 She [sc. Pisa] has but one thing left to boast of, and that is not much,
>viz: she is the second city of Tuscany. 1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 449/2
>The greatness
>of Aix was due to the latter [i.e. Charlemagne], who between 777 and
>786..raised the place to the rank of the second city of the Empire.
>1933 Times 31 Jan.
>6/3 Our 'second city' [i.e. Glasgow] has placed its whole crop of Spanish
>graduates on the elementary reserve list of teachers. 1980 TWA Ambassador Oct.
>81/1 The influence of the Second City [i.e. Chicago] on the tenor as well as
>the direction of his workparticularly his booksis inestimable. 1997 Daily Tel.
>23 Apr. 6/5 Edgbaston is the home of the Second City's university, teaching
>hospital,..BBC studio and a substantial part of Brum's professional and
>managerial population.
>
>
>
>(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)
>Decatur Weekly Republican - 6/7/1883
>...CHICAGO is now the third, and almost the SECOND, CITY in the Union, with
>respect to.....New York is the first, Boston the SECOND and CHICAGO the third,
>and Boston will.....Health of CHICAGO finds that houses iu that CITY contain
>an average of throe families.....at tho post office at Dccatur, Illinois us
>SECOND class mall matter. BISMARCK is to be..
>Decatur, Illinois Thursday, June 07, 1883  648 k
>
>Ohio Democrat - 8/26/1886
>...its population. In 1900 CHICAGO will be the SECOND CITY of the Western
>hemisphere, with.....last year of This makes CHICAGO the fourth CITY on the
>continent, New York, Brooklyn and.....BcUu-sdii Kneampment, I. O. O.
>Meets every
>SECOND and fourth Fridny of eui-1 mouth, ut.....masked. as they were to their
>heavily CHICAGO. A school census just completed at..
>New Philadelphia, Ohio Thursday, August 26, 1886  1155 k
>
>Daily Herald - 2/21/1899
>...the site of Chicago. The land on which the SECOND CITY of the Union now
>stands was owned.....adpoted in other countries, this included. GLASGOW,
>Scotland, is occasionally referred.....to in American newspapers as
>a CITY that has
>demonstrated the success of.....possibility of government without taxation.
>GLASGOW has municipal ownership of its..
>Delphos, Ohio Tuesday, February 21, 1899  971 k
>
>Olean Democrat - 7/18/1889
>...CHICAGO KUo of it Tort In A Town In 1837 A CITY in 184O. now claims to bo
>tho SECOND.....from the start, but CHICAGO is the only CITY which has enjoyed
>a "phenomenal growth.....nstrument somewhat like a xylophone, tho SECOND sings
>and the third plays a sort of.....South park. 10. Oakwoods cemetery. THE XEW
>CHICAGO. As CHICAGO previously covered 42..
>Olean, New York   Thursday, July 18, 1889  913 k
>
>Newark Daily Advocate - 7/26/1889
>...provinces, CHICAGO claims to bo tho SECOND CITY of tho Union. Sho is
>absolutely.....and CHICAGO Div Ace. CHICAGO Fast Line. CHICAGO
>Express.... CHICAGO
>Mail and Es.....Whom it May Concern. BE it resolved by the CITY Council of the
>CITY of Newark, Ohio, two.....look after these sleepers, all holders of
>SECOND class Montana and Pacific coast..
>Newark, Ohio Friday, July 26, 1889  1043 k
>
>Newark Daily Advocate - 8/2/1889
>...leads the former in population and is tho SECOND CITY in the United
>States. The.....than twelve or fourteen. RISES ALL THE CHICAGO
>SECOND. Sh Pninei
>Philadelphia in.....d4 l l For the best bargains in the CITY in Coal try the
>yards corner Locust and.....Littlo Eva, U, 12, 10, 0, S. Timo. ______ CHICAGO
>Winning Nugn. CHICAGO, August First..
>Newark, Ohio Friday, August 02, 1889  843 k
>
>Herald Despatch - 3/29/1890
>...It gives relief at once. CHICAGO is ihe SECOND CITY of the Union. The
>proprietors of.....of tus death and was with trusts and the SECOND
>class are those
>of the of Missouri.....to visit the Star Chapter meeting at Farmer CITY
>to-night. .The famous but ghastly.....in millinery of Clinton, has
>gone to CHICAGO
>to work for some time in a wholesale..
>Decatur, Illinois Saturday, March 29, 1890  694 k
>
>Indiana Gazette - 7/24/1890
>...now stated that CHICAGO, the World's Fair CITY, is the SECOND CITY in the
>'United.....are Cape May, Atlantic CITY, Sea Isle CITY or Ocean CITY, every
>one of which is a.....S Great Show will exhibit in Allegheny CITY on July 28.
>THE Street Commissioner is.....as4 accomplished young lady of that
>CITY. Will is
>nov; filling an engagement with..
>Indiana, Pennsylvania Thursday, July 24, 1890  893 k
>
>Fort Wayne Sentinel - 8/8/1890
>...Sept. 1st. THE census makes CHICAGO the SECOND CITY iu point of population
>iu the.....the pay of supervisors in the First and SECOND Indiana districts,
>as the returns are.....which is to be held iu this CITY September 15th to
>20th, will bo of great.....Buffalo 10; Brooklyn 5, Philadelphia 4; CHICAGO 18,
>Clevelancl 4. National League..
>Fort Wayne, Indiana Friday, August 08, 1890  714 k
>
>Decatur Weekly Republican - 9/24/1891
>...of the lake, the garden CITY, the SECOND CITY in the United States, ana of
>her people.....it is the best CITY in the state outside of CHICAGO. I have
>only lived in Decatur 12.....Farmer CITY and Clinton lairs and SECOND nt the
>Bloornington fair. The horse.....challenge any CITY in Illinois, outside of
>CHICAGO, to make such a showing in the past..
>Decatur, Illinois Thursday, September 24, 1891  555 k
>
>Daily Iowa State Press - 8/30/1900
>...of her faculties. "And now CHICAGO Is the-SECOND CITY in wealth and
>population on this.....which were adopted: The democrats of the
>SECOND Iowa district
>'in convention assembled.....and prompt manner, we also found the CITY
>governed, and the police: inti and.....bouse Wan. Tierney No. 507 Iowa Avenue.
>CHICAGO, Aug. The Grand Army of the Itopublic..
>Iowa City, Iowa Thursday, August 30, 1900  944 k
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