More on Kemosabe

[Joel S. Berson]

At 2/15/2008 12:17 PM, Mark Mandel wrote:
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>Is there any evidence for "kemo" = 'secret'?

That's on the site Jon pointed to:  The Straight Dope:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_061.html. See ["giimooj," secretly]

Joel



>m a m
>
>On Fri, Feb 15, 2008 at 11:59 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > The following seems a pretty obvious speculation, but Cecil does not
> > mention it.  There is in the OED "sabe n.  ...  slang (orig.U.S.)  =
> > savvy n.  1872 B. Harte in Atlantic Monthly Mar. 352/2 Did n't hev no
> > more sabe than to come round yar with sickness in the house and no
> > provision.  1892 Kipling & Balestier Naulahka 273 You have been
> > romping around for six months after something you hadn't the sabe to
> > hold when you'd got.  1913 J. London Valley of Moon 311 We ain't got
> > the sabe, or the knack, or something or other.
> >
> > How about "kemosabe" = secret knowledge -- that is, someone who has
> > knowledge of things not known to others?  A scout.
> >
> > One might also speculate about the name Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee:  Appeal
> > to insiders -- we have special knowledge that you don't.
> >
> > Joel
> >
> >
>
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