Antedatings of "Blue Chip"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 6/21/07, Fred Shapiro <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> blue chip (OED 1904, in modern sense 1932)
>
> 1885 _Boston Daily Globe_ 17 Jan. 4 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)  New York
> Sun:  A citizen who had been playing poker the night before dropped a blue chip
> into the contribution box by mistake.  After service he went to the deacon who
> had passed the plate and told him of the mistake.  "So I'll just give you a
> dollar in its place," he said, "and we'll keep the matter quiet."  "No, you
> don't," replied the deacon, ignoring the money offered; "that's a blue chip.
> It's worth $5."

Also for the original gambling sense...

1875 _Galveston Daily News_ 7 Nov. 1/3 (19th C US Newspapers) They
have a pious gambler in Cincinnati by the name of Bolley Lewis. He
always contributes blue chips and last week presented his pastor with
a handsome horse and buggy.

1878 _North American_ (Philadelphia, Pa.) 7 Aug. 2/3 (19th C US
Newspapers)  After losing the thousand he had won and $200 more, he
became tired of roulette and began playing faro, using blue chips
worth $25 each.

1879 _Milwaukee Daily Sentinel_ 22 Jan. 2/2 (19th C US Newspapers)
Henderer said Wheeler had better give him $5 for a blue chip, and
Wheeler gave him the money.
[from a report of a murder trial involving gamblers]


--Ben Zimmer

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