"hot corn"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/3/2008 03:40 PM, Paul wrote:
>"Hot corn'  sold in summertime?  Makes no sense unless popcorn
>Summertime sales on a fall harvested crop?

This hot corn was probably on the cob.  And in New England, corn is
traditional for the Fourth of July -- not a fall crop.

But this corn, I think, is irrelevant to the duel, where I think the
image is the kernels, not the cob.

Joel

>Joel S. Berson wrote:
>>At 1/2/2008 09:37 PM, George Thompson wrote:
>>>Not in HDAS, and not perfectly clear why it should mean what it seems
>>>to mean:
>>>
>>>         Some were so uncharitable as to say "I hope in God both may
>>>get their hot corn."
>>>         New York Herald, August 28, 1841, p. 2, col. 1  [referring
>>>to a duel between August Belmont and a gentleman from South Carolina]
>>>
>>>Hot corn was sold from buckets on the streets, then, and was
>>>regarded as a summertime treat, at least for the lower orders.
>>
>>I assume it means "get their just deserves"  :-)
>>
>>Was "corn" ever used to describe a size of gun-shot?  What was used
>>in dueling pistols?  In 18th century newspapers, hail was compared in
>>size to marbles, or the eggs of various birds.  There is also
>>"grapeshot", and I imagine other terms describing size in terms of
>>common objects.
>>
>>Joel
>>
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