"Jew(UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Statesville [NC] Record and Landmark, 5/2/1974 p 20 col 4
[Newspaperarchive]

"On the day after the fire, Chariton allegedly told a friend in Miami he
would be a millionaire because of the fire and "Jewish lightning had
struck in Lincolnton." "


> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
Behalf Of
> Joel S. Berson
> Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 10:32 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "Jew(ish) lightning"
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> -
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      "Jew(ish) lightning"
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
> -
>
> Not in the OED, nor had I in my sheltered upbringing heard it
> before.  Urban Dictionary says "To set your house or business on fire
> on purpose to get the insurance money."
>
> For "Jewish lightning", about 13,000 Google hits.   For "Jewish
> lightning", 230 Gbooks hits.  For "Jew lightning", perhaps 3 genuine
> of 8 GBooks hits.
>
> A.  Jewish lightning, before 1980.
>
> 1)  1974.  Black Mafia; ethnic succession in organized crime, by
> Francis A. J. Ianni.  Allegedly page 133.
>
> "You mean it wasn't no Jewish lightning." "Nah, not any neighborhood
> lightning either. Who around here wants to burn down a bar?" "Hey
> right." Manchu said softly, "If it ain't been axed to death, I hear
> there's plenty of whiskey in that ...
>
> Snippet, but "From inside the book" for a reason unknown to me shows
> entirely different text.
>
> 2)  1975 alleged.  Jewish spectator: Volumes 40-41.  Page 10.
Snippet.
>
> Put them all together and they spell Jewish Lightning, a novel which
> proves that Robert Klane is to books what Mel Brooks is to movies.
>
> [Meaning unclear.  I did not find a book with this title in WorldCat.]
>
> 3)  1978.  In Espy, "O thou improper, thou uncommon noun".
>
> B.  Jew lightning.
>
> 1992, Blood of Our Fathers, by Sonny Girard.  Snippet.
>
> "As you get closer to the holidays, we'll keep selling off your extra
> stuff to our people, an' you'll keep filling in. Then in January,
> before your biggest bills come due . . ." He snapped his fingers.
> "Whap! Jew's lightning. ...
>
> Page alleged to be 223.  But again the display "From inside the book"
> is a completely different excerpt.
>
> [Two other allegations, but they do not reveal any surrounding text.]
>
> Joel
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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