[Ads-l] Not So Shaggy, 1919

[Stephen Goranson]

OED under shaggy adj. cites a May, 1937 Esquire article, "Don't Laugh Now" by J. C. Furnas   "56/1   One of the more sporting ways of finding out which ones are not [sane] is to try shaggy-dog stories on them." The article continues on pages 236 and 237. It suggests that dogs may not be the original animal in this story genre. It does give a story of a New Yorker who takes a ship to England in response to a lost dog notice, ending: "Oh," says the Englishman coldly, "not so damn shaggy" and slams the door in the American's face.
The 1919 headline "NOT SO SHAGGY" may be related.

Stephen

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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
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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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