"war daddy"

[Wilson Gray]

On Feb 1, 2005, at 2:39 PM, Jesse Sheidlower wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> Subject:      "war daddy"
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> --------
>
> I've been asked about the term _war daddy_ in football,
> referring to a very tough or aggressive player. Does
> anyone know the inspiration for this, or its history?
> I know there was some WWI-era use of _war daddy_ to
> describe wealthy men who financially helped soldiers,
> or something like that, but this doesn't seem related.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED
>

Never heard it or read it. But, re _war daddy_ *not* as a football
term: perhaps related to Little Orphan Annie's Daddy Warbucks, who was
a war profiteer, at least in the beginning?

-Wilson