southpaw (1870)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Previous earliest cite for "southpaw" was from 1871:
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0505d&L=ads-l&P=3772

>From 19th Century U.S. Newspapers, here it is in an 1870 article, "The
Newsboys as Dog-Catchers" (reprinted from the St. Louis Democrat),
listed as one of several colorful newsboy nicknames:

1870 _Milwaukee Daily Sentinel_ 6 Aug. [?]/2 He took down the names of
seven of these little imps, with the nicknames given them by their
comrades. Here is a sample: Wm. Garvin, "Cod;" James Brady, "Slouch;"
James Sullivan, "South-Paw;" Pat Naughton, "Snotty;" Tom Pentenay,
"Tom-Cat;" Wm. Downey, "Slobbery;" John Sheehan, "Slop Barrel;" Pat
McNulty, "Lunch Chucker."

[No page number visible, true for a lot of page images on 19th Century
U.S. Newspapers.]


--Ben Zimmer

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