antedating "hobo" 1885

[Paul]

paul johnson
And I thought I was so hip in the 50's calling my overcoat a benny.


Mark Mandel wrote:
> 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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>
>
>

--
                        Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
                (doesn't that sound like the ingredients for a great camping trip?).

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