[Ads-l] Not So Shaggy, 1919

[Joel Berson]

The article uses the phrase "a good pipe dream", which suggests that "not so shaggy" means "possibly true".  While the essence of a shaggy dog story is its length and pointlessness (according also to the OED), rather than its truthfulness, I too sense a relationship.

Joel

      From: Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
 To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
 Sent: Friday, August 7, 2015 10:26 AM
 Subject: [ADS-L] Not So Shaggy, 1919
   
Maybe related to shaggy dog stories (OED has 1937 for such stories/yarns)--or not. "Bear yarn*"? Or if not, maybe so.


"NOT SO SHAGGY" is the section headline--of the final section--under "SPORTOGRAPHS by Frank H. Frawley."

[The entire section text:]

Denver has it that C. C. will try to get Ogden Verner and Garside in football togs because of the fact that Chuck Schneider of the Mines was reinstated. "Stub" Davis, a Denver paper said, would also get into the harness. This is all a good pipe dream, but the Tigers haven't thought anything about it. Davis is married and is a commissioned officer in the regular army. Verner and Garside are engaged in other occupations and could not be here. But, then, a bear yarn is a bear yarn. Those yarns emanating from Denver seem to be extra sensational.


Colorado Springs Gazette. Oct. 22, 1919, p. 8, col. 1.


Stephen Goranson

http://people.duke.edu/~goranson/

<http://people.duke.edu/~goranson/>

* Exempli gratia:

Field and Stream, April 1, 1911, p.499, col. 2 [GB]

"He had made the camp tired with his bear yarns,..."

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