Plug Ugly (1856) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Slightly earlier:

[untitled letter] by Henry M. Whittaker. _Baltimore Sun_, Oct 27 1855. p
2. col 6.
"And some of the parties I heard crying out during the day rally, "plug
uglies,"
after they had returned back to the polls."

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
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> Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 5:46 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Plug Ugly (1856)
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Plug Ugly (1856)
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> -----------------
>
> FYI, America's Historical Newspapers (GenealogyBank) has the
> Baltimore Sun from 1848-1901.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> 8 March 1856, Baltimore Sun, pg. 1:
> His father kept a tavern on the road; was for the bar on the
> 20th of November last, attending there; when Patterson came
> into the door he said "oh  you plug uglys;"...
> ...
> ...
> 7 July 1856, Baltimore Sun, pg. 1:
> Another fight in which pletals (?--ed.), bricks, &c., were
> freely used,  took place on Saturday morning last, at the
> corner of Sutaw and Mulberry  streets, between a party
> hailing as "Plug Uglies," and a party rallying under  the cry
> of "O, you New Market."
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (OED)
>
> plug-ugly, n. and adj.
>
> slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.).
> [< a first element of uncertain origin (see note below) +
> _UGLY_
> (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&qu
> eryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max
> _to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=VUb
> p-13ansa-8604&co
> ntrol_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=ugly&ps=n.)  n.
> The first element has  variously been suggested to be _PLUG_
> (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&qu
> eryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_
> show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=VUbp-13
> ansa-8604&contro
> l_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=plug&ps=n.)  n. 3
> (arising from competing Baltimore firefighter companies who
> became combative around fire-plugs), _PLUG_
> (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&qu
> eryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&
> sort_type=alpha&search_id=V
> Ubp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=pl
> ug&ps=n.)  n. 7 or _PLUG_
> (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&qu
> eryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&
> sort_type=alpha&search
> _id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefwo
> rd=plug&ps=v.)
> v. 4b (with reference to such people being ugly because they had  been
> (frequently) punched in the face), and _PLUG_
> (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&qu
> eryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fu
> lltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&control_no=5
> 0181865&result_p
> lace=2&xrefword=plug&ps=n.)  n. 10 (with reference to the
> plug hats (cf. plug hat n. at _PLUG_
> (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&qu
> eryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&
> sort_type=alpha
> &search_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_place=2
> &xrefword=plug&p
> s=n.)  n. Compounds 2) worn by members of the gang to protect
> them from opponents), but none of these suggestions appears
> to be supported by any evidence.]
>
> A.  n.
> 1.  Originally (chiefly with capital initials): a member of a
> gang of ruffians in  Baltimore and some other American cities
> (now hist.). In later use more
> generally: a thug, a rowdy.
> 1856  Butte Rec. (Oroville,  Calif.) 29 Nov. 3/7  The..Plug
> Uglies..went to Philadelphia on election day..to fight  off
> and whip the democracy from the polls.
>
>
>
>
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Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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