Knickerbockers

[George Thompson]

"Cholly Knickerbocker" was a society columnist for the tabloids.  I
see from Google that he was actually Igor Cassini, who died at a very
advanced age a few years ago, the brother of Oleg Cassini, the fashion
designer, who died at an even more advanced age a few weeks ago.

GAT

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

----- Original Message -----
From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 5:47 pm
Subject: Re: Knickerbockers

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

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