SON OF A GUN STEW

[Jonathan Lighter]

The stronger phrase had some currency during the Civil War:

  a1864 in Mark Grimsley _And Keep Moving On_ (Lincoln: U. of Nebr. Press, 2002) 179: A sort of [stewlike] mush...wh[ich] they call "Son of a b---h."

  JL

"Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
Subject: SON OF A GUN STEW
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Barry's web page

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/son_of_a_bitch_s
tew_son_of_a_gun_stew/

lists "Son of a Gun Stew" with a first cite from the NYT from 1933.

Ask Governor to Reappoint Mrs. O'Hair
by Jan Isbelle Fortune 1929-05-11 Dallas Morning News p. 1 (cite from
continuation page 14 col 1)
"Beans and sow belly, barbecued beef and mutton, son-of-a-gun stew,
stewed prunes and sour dough bread with black coffe, was served to an
enthusiastic crowd of both Texas press women and local residents, while
the Sul Ross College band played and sang."

BTW, Barry, I don't know how you do an entry for "Texas Sweet Onions"
without also having one for "Vidalia Onions" (for which the OED has
1969, and I can't beat.)

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