Hamberger steak (1889); Life of Reilly (1896?), Life of Riley (1911)

[Jonathan Lighter]

HDAS has no "life of riley/ reilly" before 1918, so 1911 is a real find.

  The 1896 "life or Reilly" reprints an older broadside epic, once relatively well-known in fact.  It refers, though, to the literal life of a character named Willie Reilly. Presumably the occurrences of the phrase in the poem/ballad are unrelated to the now-familiar metaphorical usage.

  JL

Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
Subject: Hamberger steak (1889); Life of Reilly (1896?), Life of Riley
(1911)
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HAMBERGER STEAK
...
"Weiner schnitzel" is not the only food mis-spelling. The 1893 Reno Evening=20=
=20
Gazette advertised "Tom Fraker's world renowned hamberger sandwiches."
...
This "hamberger steak" citation (from GenealogyBank) is interesting. =20
"Hamberger steak" was popular in New York City (and new to North Dakota)? I'=
d have=20
thought it was Athens, Texas. New York City--who knew?
...
...
15 August 1889, Bismarck (ND) Daily Tribune, pg. 1:
_Hamberger Steak._
George Gussner is making a specialty of Hamberger steak, and those who =20
appreciate this most palatable and nourishing dish should leave orders at th=
e =20
Gussner market. Orders promptly filled and delivered. This is a new delicacy=
in =20
the Bismarck meat market, and all who have enjoyed the luxuries of the New Y=
ork=20
city markets will appreciate Mr. Gussner's enterprise.
...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--
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LIFE OF REILLY; LIFE OF RILEY
...
What does the next HDAS have for "life of riley"?
...
...
=20
_Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern - Page 16441_=20
(http://books.google.com/books?id=3DszwOAAAAIAAJ&pg=3DPA16441&dq=3D"life+of+=
reilly"+dat
e:1800-1911&num=3D100&ie=3DISO-8859-1)=20
by Charles Dudley Warner - 1896 - 18299 pages
I'll have the life of Reilly should I lose ten thousand pounds." =E2=80=94=20=
" Good my=20
lord, I gave them him as tokens of true love; And when we are ...
...
...



_BULLET ENDS LIFE OF FAMOUS WILD COW_=20
(http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/759443232.html?dids=3D759443232:=
759443232&FMT=3DABS&FMTS=3DABS:AI&date=3DDec+06,+
1911&author=3DSpecial+to+The+Courant&pub=3DThe+Hartford+Courant&desc=3DBULLE=
T+ENDS+L
IFE+OF+FAMOUS+WILD+COW&pqatl=3Dgoogle)=20
Pay-Per-View - Hartford Courant - ProQuest Archiver - Dec 6, 1911 Afte=
r=20
"living The LIFE OF Riley" for over a Year, successfully evading The =20
pitchforks and The bullets OF The Farmers, whose fields she ravaged in all=20=
four ...=20
=20



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