[Ads-l] Restricted access to "Stars and Stripes" and "The buck stops here" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill CIV (US)]

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

> 
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Restricted access to "Stars and Stripes" and "The
> buck stops
>               here"
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> 
> Garson, all of the early uses of "The buck stops here" are to desk
> signs th= at say that.  The earliest references say that Brigadier
> General A. B. Warf= ield had such a sign, and you suggest that he is
> the leading candidate for = crafter of the expression.  Do you think
> the signs were all custom-made?  I= 'm wondering if perhaps office
> supply or novelty shops came up with these s= igns. =20
> 
> 
> John Baker
> 

Anyone in the military whose authority is such that the buck would stop with them likely has some sort of wood shop under their command (particularly in QM corps).  I can easily image that one general visits another, sees a sign, and off-handedly mentions in the presence of his aide-de-camp "I gotta get me one of those".  Said dog robber, sucking up to rank, runs over to the NCO at the shop and says "I need one yesterday."  Poof, new custom sign.

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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