Elvises -> Elvi(i) PLUS -oon

[Jonathan Lighter]

Here's an early and odd parallel:

  1920 Ardern Beaman _The Squadroon_ (London: John Lane) 210: "No," said the Skipper, not a hope - if they really mean business. All my Hotchki [_sc_. "Hotchkiss guns"] are knocked out.

  The  British cavalry officers of 1918 who feature in Chaplain Beaman's nonfiction account evidently had a thing for this sort of thing.  Regarding the title of his book, Beaman writes (p. 5): "This was my introduction to the Squadron, or I should say 'Squadroon,' as at this time, for some reason of unknown origin, we pronounced all words ending in 'on' as 'oon.'"

  The only other ex. I note given in the book is this (p. 60): "What a delicious smell of barkoon [_sc_. "bacon"]," said the Skipper, sniffing appreciatively.

  One thinks of the app. later American slang term "maroon," for "moron."

  J


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