antedating "hobo" 1885

[Mark Mandel]

Interesting that the writer feels it necessary to describe the
pronunciation of the vowels. I would have taken that for granted.

m a m

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 9:01 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
> The list archives has "hobo" in Kansas City Star, April 19, 1888.
> THIEVES' VOCABULARY
> ....An overcoat is a "Ben." Hobo is a call to attract attention, the same as
> Hello in the average citizen's vernacular. It is pronounced with the
> long sound
> of the vowel, o, in both syllables, and is sometimes uttered with the aspirate
> omitted, as "Obo,"

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