Query About Etymological Discoveries

[Douglas G. Wilson]

George Thompson wrote:
> ....
>
> Pris. -- . . . he called me a hooker. . . .
> Mag. -- What did you call her a hooker for?
> Wit. -- 'Cause she allers hangs round the hook, your honner.
> New York Transcript, September 25, 1835, p. 2, col. 4
>
>   It certainly disproves the Gen. Hooker story, since he was but a lad in 1835.  It seems to prove the "hooker from Corlaer's Hook" story, except that the witness (a cop) might have been a folk-etymologist in his spare time.  There are certainly instances from the mid-19th century of whores as predators and the men, poor things, as their victims, supporting the hooker = fisherman story.
--

A very interesting item! Is there any significant extended context?

In particular: is it entirely certain what "hooker" meant in this item
(aside from "Hook denizen", I mean)?

I assume the prisoner is complaining about being called a "hooker", so I
suppose it must have been a negative appellation. But is it clear that
it was exactly "prostitute"? Or is it possible that it was (e.g.)
"thief", "pickpocket", "tout", or maybe even truly "Hook denizen" (with
implication of low social status or whatever)? If it was "prostitute" is
there any indication of whether it was specifically "sailors'
prostitute" or some other specialization?

Does anybody have other pre-1860 instances of "hooker" = "prostitute"
aside from those in HDAS? [Sorry, I don't.]

-- Doug Wilson

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org