"(long) drink of water" (1915)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

HDAS has 1936 for "(long) drink of water" = 'a tall man'.  The cites below
 from 1914 and 1915 suggest the expression originated in vaudeville.  The
1920 cite indicates the expression could be used for a tall woman too.

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[1914 _Indianapolis Star_ 5 Apr. 29/4 When Lew Shank walked out on the
McVicker's vaudeville stage last evening he reminded me of a long drink of
water. That's a funny expression, and I can not further explain the
phenomenon, unless I was unconsciously thirsty, or mighty glad to see and
hear some one from the old sod.]
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1915 _Washington Post_ 1 Aug. (Magazine) 3/1 Other acts will include
Klein, Abe and Nicholson, "the fat bellboy, the corpulent Scot and 'the
long drink of water,'" in a comedy of melody.
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1916 _The Dial_ 27 Apr. 1/2 The first time one sees in print such synonyms
as "piker," "gink," "long drink of water," or verbal re-incarnations of
girl into "chicken," "broiler," "flapper," "squab," "doll," "skirt," or
"queen," they may seem excruciatingly funny.
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1920 _Washington Post_ 28 Aug. 2/3 She was nicknamed by the soldiers, "the
long drink of water" because she was so tall and slender and was always
dressed in white.
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1922 _Chicago Tribune_ 30 Apr. 6/3 She also says the book purporting to be
her diary was planted by Andrew Gump, and that she cannot identify the
book in which Bim is called "Old Slats," "The Pest," and the "Hungry Drink
o' Water," leaving the impression that she was playing Bim for his coin
while she slyly loved and gave her heart to Carlos.
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1925 _Bismarck Tribune_ (S.D.) 9 Feb. 4/6 Saw Gilbert Emery, the
playwright and actor, and a long drink of water he is.
["In New York" column by James W. Dean]
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(In a post on May 10, 2004, Barry Popik noted a 1916 N-archive cite for
"tall drink of water", but it's not actually the 'tall person' usage.)


--Ben Zimmer