"little joe from kokomo" and "african billiards"

[Wilson Gray]

This reminds me of grade school in the '40's. "Hello, Jack! When'ja get
back [slap the guy on the back] from the Arm[twist the guy's arm]y?
Etc. Etc. I can't recall the rest.

-Wilson Gray

On Jul 13, 2005, at 8:38 PM, Sam Clements wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "little joe from kokomo" and "african billiards"
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> My dad, born in 1921, served in WWII, always said "Hi Ya Joe.  Whadda
> ya
> know?  I just got back from Kokomo!"
>
> Does that have any related meaning in this discussion?
>
> My dad would never have gambled in his life.
>
> Sam Clements
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 3:16 PM
> Subject: "little joe from kokomo" and "african billiards"
>
>
>> The phrase appears in American Speech Vol. 7, No. 5 (Jun., 1932) as
>> craps/dice slang.  Not in OED.
>>
>> "An Ex-Buck Private Goes Back to France" by Paul Adams (NEA Service
>> (syndicate))
>> Texas | Port Arthur | The Port Arthur News | 1927-04-10 p. 7 col 2.
>> "How the galloping dominoes led by Little Joe from Kokomo would roll
>> on
>> that smooth linoleum on the floor of the smoking room on a liner such
>> as
>> those that will carry "The Second A. E. F." back to France!"
>>
>> "The Conning Tower"
>> California | Oakland | The Oakland Tribune | 1925-01-22 p. 16 col 3.
>> "As to the loud and boisterous language, Mr. Hugh Wiley says that Mr.
>> Vitus Marsden's "Shoot six bits. I reads fo'. Little Joe from Kokomo.
>> And I reads a trey an' a one. I'm a wilecat an' I'm on my prowl" can
>> be
>> heard six blocks on a clear day."
>>
>> Little Joe from Kokomo evolved from Little Joe:
>>
>> RIVER-BANK GAMING.
>> Chicago Daily; Sep 10, 1892; pg. 3 col 4
>> "The crap games were patronized principally by the colored
>> 'longshoremen, who rolled the "bones" out on the wharf, and called out
>> for "little Joe" and "Kans' City seben" until they could be heard
>> across
>> the river."
>>
>> CRAPS TERMS BRING FINE
>> The Washington Post (1877-1954); Jul 25, 1922; pg. 2 col 3.
>> ""Baby needs shoes," "little Joe," "snake eyes" and "let it lay, I
>> shoots the works" does not necessarily indicate that  the D.C. code is
>> being fractured by the running of a game of African billiards,
>> according
>> to Attorney Royal A. Hughes, who yesterday noted an appeal from the
>> decision of Police Judge Hardison in fining Lawrence A. Bell, colored,
>> $50 for conducting a gaming establishment."
>>
>> [OED does not have "African Billiards" for dice game, nor "baby needs
>> shoes"]
>>
>> more African billiards:
>>
>> "Letter from Leonard McEnroy"
>> Pennsylvania | Wellsboro | The Wellsboro Agitator | 1918-09-11 p. 2
>> col
>> 2.
>> "The climax of this story is though, that the other day I saw a couple
>> of Doughboys in the top of tbe thing playing African billiards.  You
>> savvy African billiards? In plain every day English it's shooting
>> craps."
>>
>>
>> PAY DAY FOR TIDE RUM FLEET'S SAILORMEN
>> By JAMES C. YOUNG
>> New York Times Magazine (1857-Current file); Jan 4, 1931; pg. 12 col
>> 4.
>> "In the center of the room stand two billiard tables, a croupier at
>> the
>> head of each.  One is given over to a pastime described as African
>> billiards or golf, the other to that deadly game of picquet."
>>
>