gunsel

[Mullins, Bill]

As far as "The Maltese Falcon" goes, I believe you are right.  But Cook
seems to be the stereotype of the second OED defintion, as well -- a
cheap hood whose job it is to shoot, or get shot.  Check out his
listings in the IMDB.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of paulzjoh
> Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 12:44 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: gunsel
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       paulzjoh <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM>
> Subject:      Re: gunsel
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> -----------------
>
> I thought that Bogart was calling Cook a faggot when he said gunsel.
> When I first saw the movie I was too young to know about
> homosexuality, little else sex, but rewatching the movie on
> TV, it seems that  there is a Hollywood euphuism at work there.
>
> Mullins, Bill wrote:
>
> >The OED has Gunsel in 1914 for one definition (catamite),
> and 1950 for
> >another (the Elisha Cook Jr. type).  This joke from N'Archive may be
> >using the word as a proper name (as many cites from the era
> show up),
> >but in context, it may be related to the slang word.
> >
> >Ohio | Newark | Newark Daily Advocate | 1896-06-18 p.5/4
> >
> >"He Forgot to Mention It.
> >Greene - Say, that shotgun I bought
> >of yon blew into 10,000 pieces the first time I fired it
> off. I don't
> >see how I ever got off alive.
> >Gunsel - Oh, yes; I forgot to tell you.
> >You have heard of those new disappear-
> >ing guns the government is getting?
> >Well, that was one of them. - Indianapolis Journal."
> >
> >
> >
> >
>