square from Delaware (1939)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 4:32 PM, Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Sep 03, 2008 at 03:57:30PM -0400, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>> ---
>> 1939 _New York Amsterdam News_ [Dan Burley's "Backdoor Stuff"] 27 May
>> 20/1 "Lawd! I'm a square from Delaware, a Lane from Spokane, a killer
>> from Manila and a Home from Rome," Allen Drew beats out.
>> ---
>> 1940 _New York Amsterdam News_ 2 Mar. 21/2 So don't be the "square
>> from Delaware," just lace up your boots and "dig this jive."
>> ---
>>
>> Also c. 1940, Fats Waller released a song called "(You're a) Square
>> From Delaware" (Bluebird B-10730, B-side of "Send Me Jackson"). And I
>> believe the expression shows up in the 1941 movie _Ball of Fire_. Is
>> this the origin for "square" = 'unhip person'?
>
> Here are the two examples of _square_ in the shooting script:
>
> 1941 C. Brackett & 'B. Wilder' _Ball of Fire_ (film script) 28
> All right, gates. All right, squares, plant your frames solid
> in your chairs and latch onto the roller coaster. We're going
> through the night life of Manhattan--every juice joint.
>
> 1941 C. Brackett & 'B. Wilder' _Ball of Fire_ (film script) 35
> A professor!.. Just a square from Delaware.

So do we have anything earlier for "square" = 'unhip person (from
Delaware or elsewhere)'? The 1939 Amst News cite doesn't imply
unhipness, but the 1940 one certainly does.


--Ben Zimmer

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