Dan Burley

[Jonathan Lighter]

The intro to HDAS draws attention to the writing of Dan Burley (1909 - 1962,
acc. to Wackipedia), the African-American journalist and musician who
probably did more than any other individual human being to expand and
popularize "jive" (urban BE slang), through his columns in the _Pittsburgh
Courier_ and later in NYC's _Amsterdam News_, which he also edited.
Burley wrote _Dan Burley's Original Handbook of Harlem Jive_ in 1944  (ISTR
an earlier edition in 1941 that I was unable to obtain) and _Diggeth Thou?_
in 1959.  I see that Thomas Aiello has recently edited both under the title
_Dan Burley's Jive_ (2009). About time!

My point?  ProQuest now carries the _Amsterdam News_, and a search for "Dan
Burley" reveals hundreds of his weekly columns back to the late '30s.  They
get jivier as time passes.  OED and others should find many antedatings
there.  And some whippersnapper might find diss. inspiration.
I can't find a digitization of the old _Pittsburgh Courier_, but that paper
too should be examined.

JL
--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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