Antedating of Bazooka(the instrument) 1918

[Joel S. Berson]

But if the 1918 cite says its *not* a cannon nor a machine gun, then
perhaps there *was* a weapon by that name in 1918??

Joel

At 3/24/2007 08:02 PM, Sam Clements wrote:
>Nope, not the weapon from 1943.
>
>OED has 1935 for the "musical" instrument described as "two
>gas-pipes and a whiskey funnel."  HDAS suggests that comedian Bob
>Burns created the instrument in the late '30's.  That was certainly
>in all the papers at the time.
>
>Using Newspaperarchive  17 January 1918, _The Waukeesha(WI)
>Freeman_  pg 6, col. 5
>
>      Port Royal, S.C.Jan, 15.--U.S. Marines at this station have a
> new invention.  It's called a "bazooka."  No, it isn't a cannon,
> nor a flying machine, nor a machine gun, but when in operation it
> will make you "shake your feet."  The "bazooka" is a simple
> contrivance, consisting of but two pieces of gas pipe and a funnel,
> but it's secret is in the playing.  It is said that the Marine
> Corps Jass Band is the only one in the world that boasts of a "bazooka."
>
>
>I 'think' this is the earliest cite for this homemade invention,
>which has thousands of later hits, used in Vaudeville, etc.  But I
>only searched Newspaperarchive.  Others may find earlier.
>
>Pretty easy to deduce why the weapon of WWII was referred to as a "bazooka."
>
>Sam Clements
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org