SPUD acroetymythology (1927)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

As Dave Wilton has noted, Mario Pei was taken in by a spurious acronymic
derivation of "spud" -- in the 1949 edition of _The Story of Language_, he
claims that "SPUD" is an acronym for "Society for the Prevention of
Unwholesome Diet" (though this was corrected by the the 1965 edition). See
Wilton's _Word Myths_, pp. 94-5, and also:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0305C&L=ads-l&P=R3243
http://www.wordorigins.org/wordors.htm

But versions of this etymythology go back at least to the late '20s...

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Chicago Daily Tribune, May 8, 1927, p. VII4/4
"Isn't It Odd?" by William Atherton Du Puy
Sir Walter [Scott] also attempted to induce England to adopt the potato.
Queen Elizabeth served it at court at his request. But the nightshade
prejudice against it was such that organized resistance developed. The
fact that potatoes are sometimes called spuds is said to have originated
from the initials of a Society to Prevent Unwholesome Diet.
-----
Helena Independent (Montana), Sep. 12, 1928, p. 4/3
"The Haskin Letter" by Frederic J. Haskin
There was much prejudice against the potato when it first was introduced
in England. Conservative Englishmen looked askance at America, the land of
the heathen Redman, took umbrage at the introduction of the vegetable to
English tables and felt so keenly about it that they organized a society
in an attempt to prevent further imports. It was called the Society for
the Prevention of Ungodly Diet. It will be noted that the initial letters
pf this society were S.P.U.D. From that organization we obtain the
potato's nickname, spud.
-----

It's quite likely that the SPUD story goes back another decade or so,
based on the evidence of similar acronymization, playing on the
long-standing "SPCA":

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New York Times, Nov 15, 1912, p. 22/1
What is a Spug? According to Mrs. August Belmont, creator of the word,
Grand Sachem of the Spugs, and guardian of their traditions, a Spug is a
woman who has vowed never again in all her life to give any Christmas gift
that is not offered with a whole heart. ... In other words, a Spug is a
member of the Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving.
-----
Chicago Tribune, Dec 27, 1912, p. 6/2
Somebody ought to start a Society for the Prevention of Useless Drinking
on the night of Dec. 31. It would save a lot of Spud.
-----


--Ben Zimmer