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

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Peter Reitan wrote:
> 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?

Maybe the term was invented by the reporter. Here is a conjectural
conversation for an entertaining etymythology:

Reporter: How well did you play today?
Golf player: I hit my drive shot into the creek
Reporter: Too bad.
Golf player: The other players kindly let me tee up and try again.
Reporter: What happened?
Golf player: I took a mulligan and the ball flew over the creek and
landed inches from the green

The golf player was employing "mulligan" with the sense "tremendous
swing". But the reporter interpreted it as "an extra attempt".

Garson





________________________________
> 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
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Mulligan (extra shot in golf) May 11, 1932
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Mulligan (extra shot in golf) May 11, 1932
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org