Jass 1913

Ben Zimmer bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU
Mon Mar 21 12:36:42 UTC 2011


Not sure if this has anything to do with jazzy "jass" (despite the
ragtime context) -- perhaps just a variant of "yes" (cf. "yas",
"yassuh")?


On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 6:08 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
>
> America's Historical Newspapers
> The State; Date: 01-03-1913; Issue: 7747; Page: 4, col. 6-7; Location: Columbia, South Carolina
> Headline: Answering Back
>
>       "Sheet Music"
> Greensboro News
>  "Sheet music--snores," says the Columbia State. Aw, rag-time.
>
> Memphis Commercial Appeal
>  The Columbia (S.C.) State spreads itself to say "Sheet music--snores." Which sounds like a wet blanket on harmony.
> ....
>       Agreed.
> Greensboro News
>  The Columbia State thinks it's curious how long down the man higher up usually is. Jass!

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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



More information about the Ads-l mailing list