"paper-pusher"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Thanks, Ben.  If it really does mean "passing the buck," it's the only example I know of.  My guess is that the shuffling of papers leading to delay and confusion is what's intended.

JL

Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Benjamin Zimmer
Subject: Re: "paper-pusher"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 20:51:23 -0400, Fred Shapiro
wrote:

>On Sat, 18 Jun 2005, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
>> Can anyone find a pre-1944 ex. "paper-pusher" and/or "paper-pushing"?
>
>1943 _Reno Evening Gazette_ 4 Jan. 43 (Newspaperarchive.com)
>After we figure up our new taxes we are going to be pretty mad
>whenever we see or hear of a single paper-pusher or payroller who
>isn't absolutely needed?

For "paper-pushing" (in the sense of bureaucratic dilly-dallying or
buck-passing):

-----
Washington Post, Nov 2, 1942, p. 18/7
The Washington Merry-Go-Round, by Drew Pearson
Cuts Red Tape to Get Machinery to Russia

One year ago, the Harriman Mission came back from Moscow to report that
Russia sorely needed oil equipment to set up new refineries behind the
Ural mountains. Even if Russia did not lose the Caucasus, the Harriman
Mission said, her pipelines would be cut off and the Red armies would be
completely paralyzed unless they got oil.
The Harriman Mission made this report in October, 1941. It is now November
1942. Yet for 12 long months little happened. The story is too long to
tell here. In spots it is disgraceful. But finally the President,
Secretaries Morgenthau and Ickes got steamed up over the paper-pushing
which had been going on under their noses. They ordered oil refining
equipment to Russia immediately.
-----


--Ben Zimmer

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