[Ads-l] "skeleton" (the sliding sport)

[Ben Zimmer]

My latest Wall Street Journal column ties in to the Winter Olympics,
looking at the origins of "skeleton," the terrifying sliding sport.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-source-of-a-sporting-term-why-skeletons-are-haunting-the-olympics-1518715072

If paywalled, you should be able to get to the column via my Twitter link:

https://twitter.com/bgzimmer/status/964192975399063552

The earliest "skeleton"-related cite I could find is from 1890, though
it only merits bracketed treatment as it refers to the sled's
"skeleton steel hoops":

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https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0EFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA369
"Winter Sports in the Engadine" by S.T. Prideaux
Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, Dec. 1, 1890, p. 369
A modification of the America, which promises to become a favourite,
has lately been introduced at St. Moritz by Mr. Bulpett, which has
been constructed with special reference to this controlling power. It
is a steel sled, consisting of two skeleton steel hoops, shaped to
form runners on the under side, and flat supports for a board
connecting the two on the upper side; the board protrudes beyond the
runners, so that the rider may throw his weight aft, and lift the
machine for steering purposes, when such a move shall appear to be
necessary.
----

Later in that same article (p. 371) is an early cite for the
competitive style of "bobsled":

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https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0EFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA371
A new form of sled -- called a bob-sled -- was entered by Whitney (an
American) for the International. It consisted of two ordinary Americas
-- one in front of the other -- joined together by a board, eight to
twelve feet long, and three to four inches wider than the combined
toboggans.
----

The earliest I've found for standalone "skeleton" is from 1893:

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https://books.google.com/books?id=rBkAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA573
C.W. Kennedy, "A Winter at Davos"
Longman's Magazine (London), Oct. 1, 1893, p. 573
The 'America,' which, in its most advanced form, the 'Spider' or
'Skeleton,' recently introduced from St. Moritz, simply consists of a
plank laid on spring runners, is ridden head foremost.
----

Two books from 1894 have plenty of "skeleton" cites.

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https://books.google.com/books?id=yqECAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA58
Harry Gibson, _Tobogganing on Crooked Runs_ (1894), p. 58
As with the old Swiss so with its successor, the solid wooden walled
'America,' and now the steel 'skeleton' holds the market.
----
https://books.google.com/books?id=1fMWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA7
Theodore Andrea Cook, _Notes on Tobogganing at St. Moritz_ (1894), p. 7
Many names are connected with this gradual production of the fastest
toboggan. To Mr. W.H. Bulpett is due the actual introduction of
'skeletons' into the St. Moritz tobogganing cupboards.
----

--bgz

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