"booster" = shoplifter, antedating to 1911; also "stuss-house" (?)

[Garson O'Toole]

Here is an instance of booster (meaning shoplifter) in 1900.

Cite: 1900 December 23, Chicago Daily Tribune, Seventh Holiday in
Jail, Page 3, Chicago, Illinois. (ProQuest)

For the seventh time in seven years Robert Simpson will eat his
Christmas dinner in jail. Yesterday he pleaded with Justice Martin to
allow him his freedom during the holiday. "It would be the only
Christmas present I ever got," he said, as he bowed before the...

"He is a 'booster' and pickpocket," said Detective McWeeney. "I have
arrested him  a dozen times for 'boosting.'"

"Boosting " in the parlance of the detectives means stealing from stores.

Garson

On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 12:59 PM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "booster" = shoplifter, antedating to 1911; also
>              "stuss-house" (?)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> HDAS cites journalist and short-story writer Alfred Henry Lewis (1855-1914)
> extensively. His colorful sketches of western and underworld life almost
> certainly influenced Damon Runyon.
>
> JL
> On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 11:02 AM, Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: "booster" = shoplifter, antedating to 1911; also
>>              "stuss-house" (?)
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 01, 2011 at 10:47:10AM -0400, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>> > The OED has "booster" = shoplifter (sense 3) from 1912.  A minor
>> > antedating to 1911.
>>
>> If you look at the OED quotation, you'll see that this is not exactly an
>> antedating, rather it's a conversion of the existing quote to its
>> earlier periodical appearance.
>>
>> HDAS has a 1908 example, in any case.
>>
>> Jesse Sheidlower
>> OED
>>
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>>
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>
>
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