Hooplehead

[Jonathan Lighter]

In a novel I just picked out of my box of ancient paperbacks, I find the following, the earliest discovered example of "hooplehead" :

1980 Dennis Smith _Glitter & Ash_ (rpt. N.Y.: Signet, 1981) 128 : The old man said, "Speakin' of Maureen, you know she's been acting like a real hooplehead lately, like a kid they let out of Creedmoor by mistake."

Creedmoor State Psychiatric Hospital was a fixture in the Borough of Queens for decades
.
The author, Dennis Smith, is a distinguished former NYC firefighter whose earlier novel, _Report from Engine Co. 82_ is said to have sold over two million copies.

 Barry, over to you !

JL

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