Antedating of "Second Guesser"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Correction: The "second guessers" were proofreaders who were
*rejecting* pages from typographical operators.

On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 11:35 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> Nice work, Fred and Ben. The cite below in  February 1911 tells a long
> convoluted joke that includes the phrase "second guessers' table". The
> "second guessers" were proofreaders who were rejected pages from
> typographical operators. Proofreaders were second guessing the quality
> and style adherence of the pages.
>
> The OED definition and the other cites seems to be in the baseball domain.
>
> Date: February 1911
> Journal: Typographical Journal
> Volume: 38
> Quote Page: 168
> Column: 2
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=0pQuAQAAIAAJ&q=guessers#v=snippet&q=guessers&f=false
>
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The piecework system in St Louis newspapers
> engenders frequent and spirited tilts between
> proofreaders and operators as to what constitutes
> ringable proofmarks. One sub who has had more
> or less difficulty in bumping his way through the
> mazes of the office style sheet announced in despair
> the other day that the reason there were so
> many bachelor proofreaders in St. Louis is that
> they are so confounded contrary that they can t
> bring themselves to give a "ring" even to a blushing
> bride. Another bilious one remarked that
> while he always kicked for a "ring," the "gink with
> the noseglasses" won't even ring for the elevator,
> but always kicks on the door. Still another sought
> surcease from his pent-up emotions by easing himself
> of the following verbal marathon: "So-and-So,
> over at the second guessers' table, is the proud
> grandpa of an infant prodigy. The other night
> the babe's mother was ill and the grandfather
> decided to take the infant to bed with them, that the
> mother might have a night's unbroken slumber.
> During the night the grandmother was awakened
> by a series of short, low wails from the little one.
> 'What a peculiar style of crying,' exclaimed
> grandma. I don't believe I ever heard a baby cry that
> way before. His little teeth must be hurting him.
> Guess I'll get up and get him his teething ring.'
> 'Can't give him a ring on that,' grunted the
> grandfather drowsily, 'he didn't follow the style.'"
> [End excerpt]
>
> Notes about months and page numbers:
> January 1911 starts on page 1. Vol. 28 Number 1
> February 1911 starts on page 121. Vol. 28 Number 2.
> March 1911 start on page 255. Vol. 28. Number 3
>
> Garson
>
> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 10:40 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: Antedating of "Second Guesser"
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 9:57 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>> second guesser (OED 1937)
>>>
>>> 1913 _N.Y. Times_ 8 Oct. 5 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)  Tesreau
>>> came like a whirlwind, and he gave the second guessers the fine little alibi,
>>> for he had a world of speed, fair control, and everything a pitcher needs.
>>
>> One day earlier than the cite Fred posted in '06:
>>
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0601B&L=ADS-L&I=-3&P=25732
>>
>> And a few months earlier than one I posted in '04:
>>
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0412C&L=ADS-L&P=R2&I=-3
>>
>> --bgz
>>
>> --
>> Ben Zimmer
>> http://benzimmer.com/
>>
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