beezark (1919)

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

My guess is it's from "beserk." For the vowel in "-zark" cf. "varsity" from "(uni)versity.

Gerald Cohen

* * * *

Original message from Benjamin Zimmer, 6/30/05:
> "Be(e)zark" (HDAS: "an odd or contemptible man or woman") was recently discussed on Ray Davis' Pseudopodium blog:
>
> http://www.pseudopodium.org/ht-20050423.html#2005-05-11
>
> HDAS has it from ca1925 (Damon Runyon, _Poems for Men_).
>
> -----
> 1919 _Atlanta Constitution_ 25 May B3/2 THE BUGS have no use for the
> beezark who carries a picture of himself in the back of his watch. It's a crippled loving cup that only has one handle. ["Two and Three: Putting the Next One Over" by Bugs Baer]
> -----
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>
>
>