the alarm rap

[George Thompson]

There are only a few issues of the Splinficator in existence.  The NYPL has nos. 5 and 7, and the N-Y Historical Soc has no. 8 ( from August and September, 1836).  I seem to recall having seen a reference to another magazine of a decade or so later with a similar but not identical name, but I can't recall where and I don't find it in WorldCat, or the NYPL's CatNYP or the N-YHS's listings in BobCat.  But then, I don't find Splinficator in any of these either, although I have extensive notes from these 3 issues.  Seems I need to go to the NYPL and N-YHS and check their card catalogs.

But if the editor explained the name, he did it in the first issue.  I didn't see an explanation from the later issues.

GAT

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

----- Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
Date: Thursday, December 20, 2007 9:37 am
Subject: Re: the alarm rap
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU


> George, does the publication offer an explanation of its name?  It
> reminds me of "spifflicate" - which obviously proves all kinds of
> amazing things.
>
>   JL
>
> George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: George Thompson
> Subject: the alarm rap
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> This is a term that's not in the OED. It refers to the practice of a
> policeman summoning help from the cops on nearby beats by striking his
> club against the pavement, making a sharp noise that carried for blocks.
>
> 1835: A gang of 10 or 15 disorderly boys, of from 15 to 20 years of
> age, chiefly apprentices, assembled in the Bowery, and were proceeding
> . . . up that street . . . crying "come on! come on! Bleecker Street
> House! Bleecker Street House! Hi Hi &c. &c. As they approached Prince
> street, the watch . . . gave the alarm rap. . . .
> New York Daily Advertiser, June 26, 1835, p. 2, col. 4
>
> 1836: The deceased was standing at his post, at the corner of Pine and
> Front streets when he saw Holm with goods in his possession, which he
> supposed were stolen. Deceased hailed him; and, on his flight, gave
> the alarm rap, and pursued him; to see what he was carrying; when
> Holmes [sic] turned round and stabbed [him] in the right breast,
> between the nipple and breast bone. . . .
> The Splifincator. Devoted to Mirth and Sarcasm. 1:8 (September 3,
> 1836), p. 2, col. 1
>
> 1837: I gave the alarm rap, procured assistance, and having placed a
> watchman to secure any one who might attempt to escape, I entered the
> cellar and found the white boy secreted therein. ***
> The Herald, January 13, 1837, p. 2, col. 5
>
> 1842: [the watchman] gave the alarm rap, and followed him. . . .
> New York Daily Express, October 10, 1842, p. 2, col. 4
>
> (I take some quiet pride in the thought that not many others submit
> citations from The Splifincator to the OED.) (All right, noisy pride.)
>
> GAT
>
> George A. Thompson
> Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
> Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.
>
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