Sandburg "Slang" Quote

[Fred Shapiro]

On Thu, 4 Aug 2005, Fred Shapiro wrote:
>
> This is directed at Jon Lighter and other slang scholars:  Has anyone come
> across evidence of the Carl Sandburg "slang" quote earlier than the
> citation below?
>
> Slang is language that takes off its coat, spits on its hands, and goes to
> work.
> Carl Sandburg, quoted in Troy (N.Y.) Times Record, 31 July 1943

I did a little more research and found the following earlier citation:

Slang is language that takes off its coat, spits on its hands, and goes to
work.
        Carl Sandburg, quoted in Maurice H. Weseen, Dictionary of American
Slang (1934)

Fred Shapiro


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