[Ads-l] Mulligan (extra shot in golf) May 11, 1932

[Peter Reitan]

Should we read anything into the fact that the player who took the earliest recorded "mulligan" in 1932 was  New York Yankee?  "Swat Mulligan", whose name was used to refer to a big swing in baseball and golf in the 19-teens and 19-twenties, was a fictional professional baseball player.


The 1932 "mulligan", or "another chance", was also a big swing taken off the tee; coincidence or something more?



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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2017 9:43:12 AM
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Subject: Mulligan (extra shot in golf) May 11, 1932

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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
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Subject:      Mulligan (extra shot in golf) May 11, 1932
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The term "mulligan" referring to an extra shot in golf has been
discussed here previously. Here is an unambiguous citation.

Date: May 11, 1932
Newspaper: Detroit Free Press
Newspaper Location: Detroit, Michigan
Article: Sportroom Gossip by The Sports Staff
Quote Page 13, Column 2
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/97825952/?terms=%22mulligan

[Begin excerpt]
Playing In a four-ball match, which included Tommy Armour and Clarence
Gamber, the Yankee outfielder narrowly missed carrying the creek with
his drive, the ball crashing against the bank on the far side. He was
given a "mulligan," or another chance. This time he not only drove
over the creek, but to within a few inches of the front edge of the
green.
[End excerpt]

I looked through the mailing list archive to determine the status of
the search for "mulligan" (with the sense "extra shot"). I believe
that previously the earliest citation was dated April 24, 1933. Sam
Clements found the instance in "The Detroit Free Press".

[Ads-l] antedating of Mulligan(golf extra shot) 1933
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-April/141895.html

Sam Clements found an interestingly ambiguous use of "mulligan" in the
domain of cricket in 1919. Peter Reitan suggested that the proper
interpretation for the 1919 citation was "to take a big swing at it".

[Ads-l] Antedating of golf term "mulligan" to 1919--in cricket!!
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-June/143009.html
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-June/143073.html

Stephen Goranson found a 1921 citation referring to a mixture of grass
seeds as "Mulligan's Marvelous Mixture" reminiscent of mulligan stew
in the golf domain.
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-June/143070.html

Garson

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