[Ads-l] verbing a century ago

[Ben Zimmer]

Variations on this story circulated far and wide a century ago.

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https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24558226/country_cousin/
The Fulton County (Pa.) News, Nov. 12, 1912, p. 1
What The Farmer Did.
A city man recently visited his "country cousin." The man from the city,
wishing to explain the joys of metropolitan life, said: "We have certainly
been having fun the last few days. Thursday we autoed to the country club,
and golfed until dark, then trollied back to town and danced until
morning." The country cousin was not to be stumped in the least, so began
telling of some of the pleasures of the simple life. "We have had pretty
good times here, too. One day we buggied out to Uncle Ned's and went out to
the back lot, where we baseballed all that afternoon. In the evening we
sneaked up into the attic and pokered until morning." A sturdy old farmer
who was listening, not to be outdone, took up the conversation at this
point and said; "I was having some fun about this time myself. I muled to
the cornfield and geehawed until sundown, then I suppered until dark, and
piped until nine o'clock, after which I bedsteaded until the clock fived,
after which I breakfasted until it was time to go muling again."
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This 1918 version introduces some new verbings:

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https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24558346/the_daily_oklahoman/
The Daily Oklahoman, Oct. 27, 1918, p. 8
Our Joe Miller Contest.
Dr. Edward Schwab claims that the oldest joke is the one about the boy who
left the farm and got a job in the city. He wrote a letter to his brother,
who was sticking on the farm, and in the letter, telling about the joys of
city life, said: "Thursday we autoed out to the Country Club and golfed
until dark. Then we trolleyed back to town and danced until morning. Then
we motored to the beach and Fridayed there." The boy on the farm wrote back
and said: "Yesterday we buggied to town and baseballed all afternoon. Then
we went to Ned's and pokered until morning. Today we muled out to the
cornfield and geehawed until sundown. Then we suppered, and then we piped
for a while. Then we staircased to our room and bedsteaded until the clock
fived."
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--bgz

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