"put the maginnis on" antedated (?) to 1871

[Joel S. Berson]

At 7/10/2012 07:41 AM, Stephen Goranson wrote:
>Here's another 1871 usage, this time with an illustration. Melbourne
>Punch. April 27, 1871 p. 132, caption.

Too bad the perpetrator himself isn't named!

Joel


>http://books.google.com/books?id=ypNGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=%22the+maginnis%22&source=bl&ots=_wjF7OZa71&sig=Gv7GIZAkxJT1tS-MAmv-4p4-sp0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ShT8T5zlF5Kk8QSP4bj5Bg&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22the%20maginnis%22&f=false
>________________________________________
>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of
>Stephen Goranson [goranson at DUKE.EDU]
>Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 6:59 AM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: [ADS-L] "put the maginnis on" atedated (?) to 1871
>
>OED has 1901. "Etymology:  Origin uncertain; S. J. Baker ( Austral.
>Lang. (1966) 126) suggests a possible derivation from the name of a
>wrestler called McGinnis. Austral. slang (disused).  A (wrestling)
>hold from which escape is difficult. Freq. fig.; esp. in to put
>(also clap) the maginnis on : to immobilize; to pressurize or
>coerce. Also in crooked maginnis."
>Australian National Dictionary also has 1901.
>
>The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Thursday 6 April 1871 p. 5 col 5
>
>Four stout fellows, well able to work, were charged at the City
>Court yesterday with assaulting and robbing a little elderly man
>named Cherrington. The prisoners were named Wm. Frazer....Frazier is
>a most determined and desperate fellow, and is known as "Chokem
>Bill," from a belief that when he once "puts the maginnis" on any
>unfortunate individual, i.e. garottes him, the victim is effectively
>disabled for a time....
>
>http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5845685/229706?searchTerm=
>
>
>FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1871.
>     The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) Friday 25 August 1871
> p 5 col. 4Article
>     ... who " put the maginnis on him," i.e., garotted him, and
> robbed him of a pocket-book con- taining a ....
>
>Colonial Extracts.
>     Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1867 - 1904) Thursday 14 December 1871 p 2 Article
>     ... "Maginnis" pretty strong as the throat is so much swollen
> as to-almost prevent swallowing, and is much ..
>
>Warwick Examiner and Times (St. Lucia, Qld. : 1867 - 1919) p. 4 col. 3
>Saturday 23 December 1871
>Garotting in Sydney
>....The ruffians in the latter instance put on what is termed, in
>their slang, the "Maginnis' pretty strong, as the throat is so much
>swollen as to almost prevent swallowing....
>
>The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) p.3 col. 5
>Tuesday 8 August 1899
>Witness did not put the "Maginnis" on accused till he resisted so
>violently that it was necessary....
>
>Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express
>(Vic. : 1877 - 1908)
>Friday 16 May 1902 p.2 col. 1
>A policemann in the metropolis who is renowned for putting the
>"Maginnis," or the "hammer-lock" or the "half.-Nelson"
>on  inoffensive drunks in the city and otherwise maltreating
>individuals has been warned by his superior officer to control himself better.
>
>Stephen Goranson
>www.duke.edu/~goranson
>
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>
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