Rum, sodomy, lash; rum, bum, baccer and other expressions

[Jonathan Lighter]

I doubt you'll find any citations that early, Garson.

Before ca1930 the phrase would have been  unprintable  outside of sub rosa
publications, legal testimony, etc., and its evidently restricted
circulation would have made a printed appearance even less likely.

Partridge's datings, when not specifically backed by quotes, are mostly
educated guesses. Not necessarily wrong, mind you; but guesses.

JL

On Sun, May 1, 2011 at 11:55 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Rum, sodomy, lash; rum, bum, baccer and other expressions
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Isn't "rum bum" one thing?
> DanG
>
> On Sun, May 1, 2011 at 10:04 AM, Garson O'Toole
> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Rum, sodomy, lash; rum, bum, baccer and other expressions
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Naval tradition? Monstrous. Nothing but rum, sodomy, prayers, and the
> lash.
> >
> > These words are attributed second-hand to Winston Churchill in a diary
> > entry dated 1950 as noted in the YBQ. When I looked into this quote a
> > year ago I tried to find similar expression or precursors. There is an
> > entry in "A Dictionary of Catch Phrases" edited by Eric Partridge and
> > Paul Beale for another saying:
> >
> > beer, bum and bacca (tobacco).     The reputed, almost legendary,
> > pleasures of a sailor's life; since c. 1870. Since c. 1910, there has
> > existed the var. rum, bum and bacca. In C20, usu. baccy, in both
> > versions. ...
> >
> > http://books.google.com/books?id=jKVNWvTe6RcC&q=%22bad+old%22#v=snippet&
> >
> > I have not yet been able to find citations circa 1870 or circa 1910
> > for these expressions. Perhaps they appear in diaries. Any suggestions
> > for locating early examples of these expressions?
> >
> > Here is an instance that is probably dated 1937 with 'baccer instead
> > of bacca or baccy.
> >
> > Cite: 1937, Witch in the Wilderness by Holdridge Desmond, GB Page 244,
> > [Quinn & Boden Company, Rahway, New Jersey], Harcourt, Brace and
> > Company, New York. (Google Books snippet, Not verified on paper; Data
> > may be inaccurate)
> >
> > He turned to the men. "Nothing seems to have happened, but keep your
> > guns with you. We'll get on with floating this baby—but no more Sunday
> > School. When we get her off we'll just leave that bunch right here in
> > the bushes and take the ship to some island somewhere where we won't
> > be bothered, and life'll just be rum, bum, and 'baccer."
> >
> > http://books.google.com/books?id=DEVCAAAAIAAJ&q=bum#search_anchor
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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