crout

[Jonathan Lighter]

Attestations of "kraut" (German) are very rare before 1918, no matter what the spelling. Here's a good one:
 
1862 (Jan. 26) in William B. Styple, ed. _Writing and Fighting the Civil War_ (Kearny, N.J.: Belle Grove, 2000) 64: MICKEY.--"Well, bad luck to ye for a Dutchman. What d'ye mane by that?...You, ye crout, ye!" DUTCHY.--"You Irisher, you tid said tat I was crout, ain't it?"
MICKEY.--"Yes. Well, it's nice to hear the likes uv you callin' yerself one ov the great sogers uv the army uv the Pot-o-mac."
 
"Dutchy" and "Dutchman" were frequent terms for a German;  many enlisted in the Union army. Netherlanders, by way of contrast, were extremely few.
 
JL




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