whammy antedating (was Al Capp)

[Mullins, Bill]

 I wish I'd found yours, if only because it was less typing!!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fred Shapiro [mailto:fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 5:19 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: whammy antedating (was Al Capp)
>
> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004, Mullins, Bill wrote:
>
> > Sporting News, 8/10/1939, p. 1 col 2:
> > "By playing only .333 ball the past week, losing four and
> winning two
> > of the games they played August 1 to August 6, includsive, the Reds
> > lost four and a half games from their first-place margin,
> causing many
> > superstitious fans to wonder if President Powel Crosley, Jr., and
> > General Manager Warren Giles put the whammy on their team
> by getting
> > ready to increase the Crosley Field seating capacity."
>
> Nice antedating.  I hope pointing out an earlier occurrence
> doesn't discourage the fine research you are doing:
>
> 1936 _N.Y. Times_ 5 July S2  There is only one team of the
> Dodger variety.
> "That's one too many," said Mr. Brannick gloomily.  "They put
> the whammy on us."
>
> Fred Shapiro
>