my mistake: garbage can (1906) not garbage pail

[Jonathan Lighter]

My 1880s vintage grandparents always used "garbage pail." I use "trash can" or "garbage can."

JL



Barnhart <barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Barnhart
Subject: Re: my mistake: garbage can (1906) not garbage pail
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thus far, garbage pail (1885) is far older than garbage can:

Put away the milk at once when it is served [delivered?]. In five
minutes, an authority says, milk that is left uncovered and standing near
any drain or on the bricks by a garbage pail will imbibe enough impurities
to make it spoiled for baby's use.
_The Standard_ [Albert Lea, Minn.] (NewspaperArchive.com), Aug. 12, 1885,
p 2

garbage wagon (1882):

The city garbage wagon has been discontinued, and hereafter those who have
been benefited by it will have to provide for themselves.
_Davenport [Iowa] Daily Gazette_ (NewspaperArchive.com), Nov. 16, 1882, p 7

Barnhart on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 at 3:21 PM -0500 wrote:
>American Dialect Society on Wednesday, February
>02, 2005 at 3:19 PM -0500 wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Barnhart
>Subject: Re: disposable garbage bags
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I recall municipal garbage collectors (1924) (aka garbagemen [1888]) using
>large sheets of burlap upon which to dump garbage from galvanized garbage
>pails (1906) (which I can remember cleaning) and their hefting them over
>their should to schlep to the garbage truck (1916). I don't remember ever
>hearing the term garbage box (1867).
>
>Regards,
>David
>
>barnhart at highlands.com
>
>American Dialect Society on Wednesday, February
>02, 2005 at 1:24 PM -0500 wrote:
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender: American Dialect Society
>>Poster: sagehen
>>Subject: Re: disposable garbage bags
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> I can't remember when these things first became a standard element of
>the
>>No. American lifestyle, but I clearly remember the feeling of shock --
>>outrage, really -- when I noticed that it was expected that people would
>>buy bags for the purpose of throwing them away.
>>Ah, such innocence!
>>A. Murie
>

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