"snow day" superstitions

[Wilson Gray]

On Mar 3, 2005, at 10:13 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "snow day" superstitions
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>
> Interesting, Jesse.  This usage must have spread from administrators
> and teachers to pupils.
>
> When did it become part of the core vocabulary of American English ?
>
> JL

"*Core* vocabulary"? Isn't that a bit extreme? It's a part of the core
vocabulary of American English where snow is a problem, no doubt, but
probably nowhere else. The concept of "snow day," from my personal
experience is unknown in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and
Coastal California. I'd guess that "snow day" is likewise unknown in
the rest of the Deep South east of Louisiana.

-Wilson

> Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM> wrote:
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> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Jesse Sheidlower
> Subject: Re: "snow day" superstitions
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>
> On Thu, Mar 03, 2005 at 07:07:29AM -0800, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>
>> Also, what's the earliest date fro "snow day" ? This seems
>> to me to be from the ''80s - not that I ever took notes on
>> it.
>
> ProQuest has a delightful 1951 example:
>
> 1951 N.Y. Times 1 Feb. 24/4 Embedded deeply into the routine
> of the state education system are a couple of major, red
> letter events, known as Snow Days.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED
>
>
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