antedating of growler/working the growler (OED 1888) (Popik 1883)

sclements at NEO.RR.COM sclements at NEO.RR.COM
Sun Jul 28 22:17:47 UTC 2013


21 February 1881 _Evening Journal_ Jersey City (NJ) 1/4

Headline--"Work The Growler"
"Working the growler" means going out for beer, and it is carried on to a wonderful extent in the Park, where the product of the hops is very cheap.  There was no occasion for going far to see the growler worked.  Children of tender years could be seen moving with pitchers and kettles in every direction, coming from the close saloons in the vicinity...."

This was a newspaper reporter's visit to a seedy area of the city.  No explanation for the origin of the term.

Sam Clements

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