[Ads-l] Antedating of golf term "mulligan" to 1919--in cricket!!

Wed Jun 22 03:40:19 UTC 2016

Fascinating information, Peter.

In a newspaper story from June 28, 1908 the fictional baseball player
created by Bozeman Bulger was called "Swat Milligan" (See the article
titles). It appears that both names:  Mulligan and Milligan were in
circulation.

Date: June 28, 1908
Newspaper: Evansville Courier and Press
Newspaper Location: Evansville, Indiana
Article Title: Stories of Swat Milligan: The Peerless Hitter of the Poison Oaks
Article Subtitle: How Swat Milligan Saved Old Bill Stubbles
Author: Bozeman Bulger
Quote Page 24
Database: GenealogyBank

Was the extra shot in golf ever called a "milligan"? I do not know.

The name '"Swat" Mulligan' was used as nickname for a boxer in 1923.
So the name was remembered, and it was used in another sport.

Date: April 13, 1923
Newspaper: Mount Carmel Item
Newspaper Location: Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
Quote Page 7
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt; double check for errors]
WEYMAN BESTS SWAT MULLIGAN AT POTTSVILLE
(By United Press)
POTTSVILLE. Pa.- Young Weyman, Girardville, had an edge on "Swat"
Mulligan, Port Richmond in a ten round windup here last night. Weyman
won four rounds and the other six were even.
[End excerpt]

Here is a link to a May 24, 1932 remembrance of Bozeman Bulger by
Damon Runyon which mentioned the "Swat Milligan" stories.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19320524&id=Z1FQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4g0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6753,4034787

Garson

On Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 7:39 PM, Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I think I've found an explanation for "mulligan," as reported in the cricket story; and apparently meaning, "to take a big swing at it."
>
> A writer named Bozeman Bulger created a fictional character named "Swat Mulligan," "a ballplayer with the “Poison Oak” club who performed prodigious batting feats."
> http://sports.nyhistory.org/bozeman-bulger/
>
> The earliest account I could find, from 1908, was a long story about how Swat Mulligan won a game despite being hit by a bolt of lightning - the story has a picture of his bat, and proclaims:
>
> "not even a lightning stroke could stop Swat when he knew what was coming" (his rubber gloves insulate him from the lightning hitting his bat).
>
> The Evening World (New York), August 15, 1908, page 4.
>
> Other writers used references to "Swat Mulligan" when speaking about other big hitters or swingers.  For example, the headline for an article about Babe Ruth in 1920 referred to Ruth's strength as a baseball hitter and golf club swinger:
>
> "Long-Range Hit Record for Baseball and Golf Ruth's Chief Ambition. Famous 'Babe' Has Natural Form for Walloping Home Runs, but on Links He's Developed Special Style that Drives the Little Ball Over 300 Yards - Yankee Star Confident of Flashing New Swat Mulligan Stuff This Year in Both Baseball and Golf."
>
> The Evening World (New York), March 13, 1920, page 8.
>
> Whether this sense of "mulligan" is related to an extra swing in golf or not is still an open question.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> sclements at NEO.RR.COM
>     sclements at NEO.RR.COM
>
>
>     Fri Jun 17 20:10:25 EDT 2016
>
> Using GenealogyBank, a full page article entitled "Why Our Baseball Is Better Than British Cricket."
>
> _The Colorado Springs Gazette_ 19 April 1919, 12/3.
>
> "If it is a bad ball, "off the wicket," he may take a "mulligan" at it and knock it over the fence, "out of bounds" they call it."
>
> Now, I'm not at all a cricket person so, if I've misinterpreted this, please let me know.
>
> Sam Clements
>
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