Knickerbockers

[George Thompson]

> I believe that Washington Irving was using the pseudonym
> 'Knickerbocker' by
> or before 1809, when his 'History of New York...' was first
published.
>
> Michael McKernan
>

        Yes, and that is cited in the OED entry, in [], but the next
entry, the first post-Irving entry, is from 1848.
        Irving also was the first to call NYC "Gotham" -- "Gotham"
caught on as a nickname faster and more thoroughly
than "Knickerbocker" did, although the OED's entry on Gotham (1b) has
only 2 cites referring to NYC: Irving's original, from 1807, and
another from 1852.

        WILLIAM JACKSON.  Mockasin Maker to the Inhabitants of this
renowned City of Gotham.  Commercial Advertiser, May 11, 1811, p. 3,
col.

        Petition of the Gymnasium to the Legislature of Gotham.   New-
York American, March 1, 1822, p. 2, cols. 4-5 [a mock petition for
support in erecting a gymnasium for the practice of fencing and
boxing, addressed to the members of the State Senate and House of
Assembly.]

        Yankee tricks; latest edition. -- The following are facts,
without names, which we are informed took place, literally and truly,
as we shall relate, without embellishment.  We publish them by way of
putting the unsuspicious inhabitants of Gotham on their guard against
the tricks that are sometimes played off on their credulity, by the
people of the land of wooden nutmegs.  New-York Evening Post, May 17,
1823, p. 2, col. 1 [a Yankee sells an attractively spotted pony to a
Wall-street broker; the broker rides it to a lather, the spots wash
off]

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael McKernan <mckernan at LOCALNET.COM>
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 0:16 am
Subject: Re: Knickerbockers

> George Thompson wrote:
> >Subject:      Knickerbockers
> >------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
> >
> >I was surprised to notice that the earliest that the OED has for
this
> >word as meaning a generic New Yorker was 1848.
> >
> >        A band of music immediately struck up a lively air, and the
> >proprietor of the Flag-Staff, a genuine old Knickerbocker, threw up
> >rockets from the top of this building in honor of the Club's
success.
> >        New-York Daily Advertiser, November 13, 1820, p. 2, cols.
> 1-2
> >The club referred to was the Knickerbocker Club, a rowing club,
which
> >had won a boat race; its boat had been built by an American, the
> rival>boat by an English immigrant.
> >
> >        KNICKERBOCKER LIVERY STABLES.
> >        New-York Gazette & General Advertiser, April 25, 1823, p. 3,
> >col. 3  Caption to an ad.
> >
> >        The Knickerbockers on the Fourth.  ***  It [a booth selling
> >food] will be highly decorated and furnished with every thing
capable
> >of making the Knicks smack their lips.
> >        Morning Courier & New-York Enquirer, July 2, 1830, p. 2,
col.
> >2.  Note also the abbreviation of Knickerbocker to Knick.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael McKernan <mckernan at LOCALNET.COM>
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 0:16 am
Subject: Re: Knickerbockers

> George Thompson wrote:
> >Subject:      Knickerbockers
> >------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
> >
> >I was surprised to notice that the earliest that the OED has for
this
> >word as meaning a generic New Yorker was 1848.
> >
> >        A band of music immediately struck up a lively air, and the
> >proprietor of the Flag-Staff, a genuine old Knickerbocker, threw up
> >rockets from the top of this building in honor of the Club's
success.
> >        New-York Daily Advertiser, November 13, 1820, p. 2, cols.
> 1-2
> >The club referred to was the Knickerbocker Club, a rowing club,
which
> >had won a boat race; its boat had been built by an American, the
> rival>boat by an English immigrant.
> >
> >        KNICKERBOCKER LIVERY STABLES.
> >        New-York Gazette & General Advertiser, April 25, 1823, p. 3,
> >col. 3  Caption to an ad.
> >
> >        The Knickerbockers on the Fourth.  ***  It [a booth selling
> >food] will be highly decorated and furnished with every thing
capable
> >of making the Knicks smack their lips.
> >        Morning Courier & New-York Enquirer, July 2, 1830, p. 2,
col.
> >2.  Note also the abbreviation of Knickerbocker to Knick.
>
> I believe that Washington Irving was using the pseudonym
> 'Knickerbocker' by
> or before 1809, when his 'History of New York...' was first
published.
>
> Michael McKernan
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org