Sheriff's Hotel

[George Thompson]

Here is a free-range instance of this expression, which the OED has only as a lexicographer's family pet.

OED, sheriff, 4b. In trivial and slang phrases: *** 1785 GROSE Dict. Vulgar T., Sheriff's Bracelets, handcuffs. Ibid., Sheriff's Hotel, a prison. Ibid., Sheriff's Picture Frame, the gallows.

Correction. -- We are requested to state that the Sheriff's Hotel means the Debtor's Jail, and not Bridewell, as we ignorantly supposed.
The Daily Advertiser (New York), March 23, 1805, p. 2, col. 5
(This item was seen in America's Historic Newspapers database, but not found by a search, -- searching fails to turn it up, as well as failing to find the mistaken earlier use.)  The Bridewell was NYC's jail for criminals.

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 12:31 pm
Subject: Re: Dewey Cheatham and Howe (UNCLASSIFIED)
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

>         Dewey, Cheatum & Howe, Inc. was a real company.  It was not a
> law firm, however, but instead owned one or more apartment buildings.
> The corporation was chartered in 1967, and its charter was revoked in
> 1982.  There are several reported cases from the mid-1970s, mostly
> involving what appears to have been hard-fought litigation with Turnkey
> Constructors, Inc.  These dates suggest that the name was chosen because
> of the use by the Three Stooges and other comedians.  I'm not sure why
> someone would give their business a gag name that is intended to imply
> untrustworthiness.
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
> Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 11:52 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Dewey Cheatham and Howe (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> Barry Popik's web page has an entry for the fictitious law/accounting
> firm of "Dewey Cheatham and Howe" (regular listeners of NPR's "Car Talk"
> are probably familiar with the firm):
>
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/dewey_cheatham_h
> owe_fictitious_law_accounting_consulting_firm/
>
> There apparently was a real firm by that name.
>
> The New Orleans _Times Picayune_ for 9/27/1975 lists a writ granted in
> this case: Turnkey Constructors Inc. vs. Dewey, Cheatum & Howe, Inc.,
> et
> al (Lafayette Parish).
>
> Howard Jacobs, a columnist in the paper, mentions the legal action a
> couple of times.  He also mentions a brokerage firm called McCann, Hertz
> and Howe.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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