Knickerbockers

[Wilson Gray]

Wasn't there, in more recent times, ca. the 1940's (a WAG), a
[stereo]typical New-Yorker known as "Charles / Charlie / Cholly
/ etc. Knickerbocker" or some such? For years, I "remembered"
this "person" as the embodiment of the New Yorker magazine.
Needless to say, I was wrong about that and I've since been
unable to recall where I actually came across this "C[whatever]
Knickerbocker."

-Wilson

On 3/29/06, George Thompson <george.thompson at nyu.edu> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Knickerbockers
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > 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
>

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