Sheriff's Hotel

[George Thompson]

Another "sheriff's hotel", stumbled upon:
        COMMUNICATION. Monday being set apart for the celebration of St. Patrick's day, a few sons of the Saint, boarding at the Sheriff's Hotel, met on the occasion, at No. 4, on the middle hall, and at 3 o'clock, sat down to a handsome dinner, prepared on the occasion, when the day was spent in the greatest harmony and conviviality.  [the toasts]
        Morning Chronicle, March 21, 1805, p. 3, col. 1

In the paper, "boarding" is italicized.  I'm not sure what the editor is getting at here -- I suppose the picture of debtors at a feast is meant to show that they were being coddled.  But it was well known that debtors with friends or family could be pretty comfortable in the debtors prison, but the debtors were given nothing in the jail, not even blankets or firewood during the winter months -- the newspapers would solicit charity toward them -- and so truly poor debtors were treated as harshly as any one could desire.
Criminals in the city prison could have their meals catered, if they had the money. . . .

GAT

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

----- Original Message -----
From: George Thompson <george.thompson at nyu.edu>
Date: Sunday, September 5, 2010 11:13 pm
Subject: Sheriff's Hotel
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

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

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