[Ads-l] G.I.

Mon Dec 7 17:09:29 UTC 2015

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:

Date: March 8, 1935
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=
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