Q: "dame" in U.S. slang --1862, antedating 1902?

[Jonathan Lighter]

IIRC, the U.S. slang use of "dame" developed smoothly and imperceptibly from
an earlier jocular use, common in 19th C. journalism.

HDAS has many pre-1902 exx. The earliest dates from ca1700. It may or may
not be useful to draw a line between pretty evident slang use (E.g., the
modern proverb, "Dames!") and earlier, jocular standard, even literary, use.

As far as I can tell, it became common in lowbrow dialogue only beginning
ca1890-1900 - a period when slang itself in lowbrow dialogue seems to have
become more common.

JL

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 5:13 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Q: "dame" in U.S. slang --1862, antedating 1902?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Is the following an antedating of OED2's "dame" n., sense 2.c,. "A
> girl; a woman. Chiefly U.S. slang.", earliest quotation 1902?
>
> I trust it's not another possibility, 2.a, "humorously applied to an
> aged housewife", which -- lumped in with "The 'lady' of the house,
> the mistress of a household, a housewife", is dated from c1330.
> -----
> 1862 -- Barre [Massachusetts] Gazette; Date: 05-09-1862; Volume: 28;
> Issue: 42; Page: [1]; Col. 3.
>
> Let me kiss him for his mother---A secesh anecdote.---As the last of
> the rebel prisoners were entering the jail on Tuesday, a big mulatto
> fellow from a neighboring slaughter house, who was making his way
> through the crowd of spectators, was somewhat jostled in the
> undertaking. A lady present, with more age than wisdom ... rushed
> toward him with open arms ...
> ...
> The secesh dame struck a bee line toward the Washington monument amid
> the cry of bystanders ...
> Baltimore Clipper.
> -----
> Joel
>
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