[Ads-l] G.I.

Mon Dec 7 17:17:44 UTC 2015

IMMEDIATE RETRACTION: The citation I just sent with a date of March 8.
1935 was incorrect. The Newspapers.com database presented an incorrect
date. The page image shows that the date was actually March 30, 1946.

Apologies for not being skeptical and more careful. Newspapers.com
(and all the databases) contain mis-dated items. The date on the
scanned page must be examined. If there is no date on the page look at
the dates on neighboring pages.

Garson

On Mon, Dec 7, 2015 at 12:09 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dave and Fred pointed to JL's remarkable benchmark reference work the
> "Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang" which on page
> 892 has a citation for "GI Joe" in the October 1935 issue of "Our
> Army".
>
> I didn't see an entry for "GIJoe" on Barry Popik's website. I do not
> have access to Green's Dictionary.
>
> Below is a slightly earlier citation:
>

*************   WARNING: the following date is wrong.
> Date: March 8, 1935   ****** Real date March 30, 1946
> Newspaper: Oakland Tribune
> Newspaper Location: Oakland, California
> Article: As We WERE SAYING
> Quote Page 4, Column 7
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> http://www.newspapers.com/image/836829/?terms=%22Joe%22
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Now that the war is over, we hear little about GI Joe, but lots about
> GI Bill.--American Banker.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Mon, Dec 7, 2015 at 7:43 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>> Subject:      Re: G.I.
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Jon Lighter's magnificent Historical Dictionary of American Slang has _GI_ =
>> 'U.S. Army soldier' from 1939 and _GI Joe_ from 1935.  I haven't checked th=
>> e databases or barrypopik.com or Green's Dictionary of Slang to see if they=
>>  have antedatings.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> Fred Shapiro=0A=
>> =0A=
>> =0A=
>> =0A=
>> ________________________________________=0A=
>> From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Peter =
>> Morris [peter_morris_1 at BLUEYONDER.CO.UK]=0A=
>> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2015 2:38 AM=0A=
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=0A=
>> Subject: G.I.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> The Online Etymology Dictionary says=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__www.etymonline.com_in=
>> dex.php-3Fallowed-5Fin-5Fframe-3D0-26search-3DG.I.-26searchmode-3Dnone&d=3D=
>> AwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG=
>> 53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3D6aVW-MJEyxgkpYHs=
>> zCwaJksrApmQgNDXDfolQFQbbi4&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> G.I. also GI, 1936 as an adjective meaning "U.S. Army equipment," American =
>> English, apparently an abbreviation of Government Issue, and applied to any=
>> thing associated with servicemen. Transferred noun sense of "U.S. Army sold=
>> ier" arose during World War II (first recorded 1943) ...=0A=
>> ... GI Joe "any U.S. soldier" attested from 1942 (date in OED is a typo).=
>> =0A=
>> =0A=
>> I've found a few possible antedatings. Usual disclaimers about Google datin=
>> g apply.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> Interesting point - two early sources say that G is for General, rather tha=
>> n Govt.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> -------------------------------------------=0A=
>> =0A=
>> I was fitted out in a G.I. (General Issue) uniform - old leftover war stock=
>> .=0A=
>> =0A=
>> Been Places And Seen Things=0A=
>> Kenneth MacKenzie, 1935=0A=
>> =0A=
>> Googling appears to confirm date of publication.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__tinyurl.com_pn7fkud&d=
>> =3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjU=
>> SUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3DO5a_yiSNjPoSl=
>> t3sa3T_gaVMqtizgkWs1ONFw7yeDKk&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> --------------------------------------------=0A=
>> =0A=
>> You can, after a few visits to the Quartermaster, understand that "G. I.'' =
>> cans are made of galvanized iron and that "G. I.'" soap is general issue so=
>> ap; but it is pure idiom to call a large artillery shell a "G. I. can.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> This appears to be from article Notes On Soldier Speech dated July-August 1=
>> 932=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__tinyurl.com_ns9t9le&d=
>> =3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjU=
>> SUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3DSC40yv-C4TS2u=
>> 1CirAF54I464Bp6gw9dzEWI-JY_YZY&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__tinyurl.com_pyvlf53&d=
>> =3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjU=
>> SUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3DscBOEZrko_0SB=
>> ykZf4fxSn3cBaY4bP3CpVpXhjbxwKo&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> =0A=
>> -----------------------------------------------=0A=
>> =0A=
>> "I was pretty nearly strangled=0A=
>> by the G.I. Uniform"=0A=
>> =0A=
>> possibly 1926.  I found a joke about a car dealer, the punchline is that he=
>>  can deliver in 1927.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__tinyurl.com_qjqdnvr&d=
>> =3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjU=
>> SUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3DBi29z8ejNDvHr=
>> iO9YeUuuXMR4CJp4oDh7zYq2gXPLb0&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__tinyurl.com_nqgwwbp&d=
>> =3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjU=
>> SUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3D9YX53nsTzHAV1=
>> egT8nwiqd7sJ65eP2Pt73-TJZ8g1i4&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> ---------------------------------------------=0A=
>> =0A=
>> =0A=
>> Example of G.I. Joe in a volume of collected issues dated 1938-41. And it l=
>> ooks as though it's early in that period.=0A=
>> =0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__tinyurl.com_o2fn8ef&d=
>> =3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjU=
>> SUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3DOrEwZXEJuLXi3=
>> N8Uc3Chjma2QvZ4orl5pVyNzt2MkVI&e=3D=0A=
>> =0A=
>> ------------------------------------------------------------=0A=
>> The American Dialect Society - https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=
>> =3Dhttp-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=3DAwIFAw&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=
>> =3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23bCfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=3DID0dTh7b__5iEAC-hhQqqJqx=
>> 9X8kpZfWHRqBZFhBWeo&s=3D65b0oeKjGgbD9NgDaNud__RCIrclEsi9nWLB8xoE9a0&e=3D=0A=
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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