dough boy (infantryman) antedated to 1835

[Jonathan Lighter]

Splendid! The context and lack of explanation suggests the term was already
well established in the army by 1835. Though it had appeared occasionally in
general sources during and after the Civil War, for most civilians it was a
neologism in 1917.

Youth today think of the Pillsbury Doughboy.

JL

On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 4:17 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      dough boy (infantryman) antedated to 1835
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> HDAS has doughboy (infantryman) from 1847
>
> Two letters  (via Proquest Historical) objecting to a 1835 publication,
> presumably Infantry tactics:
> or, Rules for the exercise and manoeuvres of the United States' infantry.
> Winfield Scott (1835 3 v)..
> .
> Communications.; NEW INFANTRY TACTICS.
> YOUNG FOGRAM. Army and Navy Chronicle (1835-1842). Washington: Jul 30,
> 1835. Vol. 1, Iss. 31; p. 247 (2 pages) col. 3
>
> Dough-boy's ghost of Indian warfare.
>
> THE NEW INFANTRY TACTICS.
> YOUNG FOGRAM. Army and Navy Chronicle (1835-1842). Washington: Aug 27,
> 1835. Vol. 1, Iss. 35; p. 277 (1 page) col.2
>
> ...the emblematic bugle horn of the Dough Boys is stamped on the flanks of
> each book...
>
> (FWIW, in these and other early uses I see no hint of connection with
> uniform parts or adobe; perhaps more likely, from the rough food.)
>
> Stephen Goranson
> http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
>
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