[Ads-l] Hep: Gerald Cohen's publication and the 7 earliest uses known to me

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

There are a massive number of false matches when searching for "hep"
Hence, it is necessary to look for phrases or to throw in additional
terms when formulating a query. This means that the collection of
matches I am able to exhibit is severely biased. I think other
researchers are also obtaining biased samples.

I looked for the phrase "learning to hep" in the domain of military
drills. I envisioned an evolutionary process in which "learning to
hep" achieved the sense "becoming knowledgeable". Next, the phrase was
transformed to "becoming hep". However, there were not enough
citations. The citations occurred too late, and I have not found
evidence of intermediary forms.

Date: October 3, 1901
Newspaper: The Student's Herald
Newspaper Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Article: Local Gossip
Quote Page 7 (27), Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
Football season tickets only $1.
Repairing Neatly Done At Coons.
The "rookies" are learning to "hep."
The game with the Medics has been called off.
[End excerpt]


Date: August 13, 1902
Newspaper: The Daily Tulare Register (Tulare Advance-Register)
Newspaper Location: Tulare, California
Article: Local Brevities
Quote Page 3, Column 2
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
The Woodmen of the World, at their recent Lead camp at Cripple Creek,
Colorado, decided to organize within the order a uniformed rank so
that the military spirit of the membership may find expression the
donning of military clothes and in learning to hep, hep, hep.
[End excerpt]


Date: October 9, 1902
Newspaper: The Student's Herald
Newspaper Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Article: Editorials
Quote Page 8 (52), Column 2
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
The new commandant, Captain Rowan, is expected soon, however, and
those assigned to drill will be learning to "hep" in a few days.
[End excerpt]


I looked for the phrase "hep to the fact" which has the proper sense.
There were a few early matches. The earliest match I found was in May
1903 in the boxing domain.

Date: May 28, 1903
Newspaper: The Denver Post
Newspaper Location: Denver, Colorado
Article: Where Corbett Has Change
Quote Page 11, Column 7
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
A match well made is half won. This applies even to a soft dalliance
with the ping pong layout, but it comes in particularly strong in a
tearing session with the five-ounce boxing things.

And one James J. Corbett is hep to the fact. James is no swaddling in
anything where he is looking for the best of it.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sat, Feb 8, 2020 at 4:28 PM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> With "going forward" and "hep to the" being part of the early
> explanation, perhaps there is another possible etymological influence.
>
> There are numerous period references to and usages of "hep, hep to the
> right", sometimes "hep, hep, hep to the right" and sometimes just "hep,
> hep" or "hep, hep, hep" (unrelated to the so-called "hep, hep riots" of
> the early 1800s).
>
> These various "hep, hep" and "hep, hep to the right" references mostly
> refer to soldiers marching - calling time, or getting people in line or
> in step.  One bicycle reference has cyclists calling out "hep, hep, to
> the right" as a warning to people in front of them on the road.  One
> "hep, hep" reference refers to a woman driving horses, saying "hep, hep"
> as one might say giddyup.
>
> There are dozens of these references in the mid-late 1890s, easily found
> on Newspapers.com or HathiTrust searching for "hep, hep" or "hep, hep,
> hep" or "hep to the" or some variant.  Some relate back to the civil
> war, others relate to current militia units, others relate to soldiers
> being mobilized for the Spanish American War, others refer to civilians
> marching or moving as though marching, like soldiers might.
>
> I have been unable to figure out precisely what "hep, hep to the right"
> is supposed to mean.  The phraseology does not appear (or I haven't
> found it) in military publications or drill manuals.  But it was
> familiar enough to people writing about soldiers that they regularly use
> it.
>
> In some cases, the "hep, hep" is used, as with the horses, to get people
> moving, sometimes to get into step, sometimes just calling out the time.
>
> In any case, perhaps "hep to the right" for bringing into line, or into
> step relates somehow to bringing people forward to what's next to be
> "hep to the game" or "hep to" whatever else.  Perhaps recent military
> experience of the Spanish American War influenced the development of the
> "hep to the" slang that appeared shortly afterward.
>
> Just throwing that out there.  Stop me if I've gone too far.
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From: "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> To: ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu
> Sent: 2/8/2020 8:15:48 AM
> Subject: Re: Hep: Gerald Cohen's publication and the 7 earliest uses
> known to me
>
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: Hep: Gerald Cohen's publication and the 7 earliest uses known
> >               to me
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >The slang phrase "hep to the game" was used to explain the meaning of
> >the slang term "next" in October 1899.
> >The meaning of "next " was illustrated with a passage form Longfellow,
> >but I think this was intended to be comical.
> >
> >Date: October 19, 1899
> >Newspaper: Wood County Reporter
> >Newspaper Location: Grand Rapids, Wood County, Wisconsin
> >Article: Fonetic Spelling: Inquirers Want to Know What Certain Words Mean
> >Quote Page 4, Column 4
> >Database: GenealogyBank
> >
> >[Begin excerpt]
> >Since the publication in The Chicago Chronicle of the definitions of
> >certain slang words and phrases and an exposition of their use by the
> >masters of English literature so many requests have poured in from
> >Wellesley, Ferry Hall at Evanston and other ladies seminaries for a
> >supplementary dictionary, inclosing several words and phrases which
> >puzzled the fair correspondents, that the following brief addendum to
> >the dictionary is presented.
> >. . .
> >NEXT, adj. Having an understanding of what is going forward; wise; hep
> >to the game.
> >
> >Robert of Sicily slowly read the text,
> >Then raised his head and murmured,
> >=E2=80=9CI am next.=E2=80=9D
> >Longfellow.
> >[End excerpt]
> >
> >Garson
> >
> >On Fri, Feb 7, 2020 at 10:51 AM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrot=
> >e:
> >>
> >>  Oops, sorry for stepping on your toes, Fred.  I responded without checkin=
> >g the full contents of my reader.
> >>
> >>  LH
> >>
> >>  > On Feb 7, 2020, at 9:43 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote=
> >:
> >>  >
> >>  > "Made" is a participial adjective, a form of the verb.
> >>  >
> >>  > Fred Shapiro
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  > ________________________________
> >>  > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of St=
> >ephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> >>  > Sent: Friday, February 7, 2020 8:22 AM
> >>  > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  > Subject: Re: Hep: Gerald Cohen's publication and the 7 earliest uses kn=
> >own to me
> >>  >
> >>  > PS Can, say, a verb in US slang produce an adjective?
> >>  > An offer you can choose to refuse: "a made man."
> >>  > SG
> >>  > ________________________________
> >>  > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of St=
> >ephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> >>  > Sent: Friday, February 7, 2020 5:34 AM
> >>  > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  > Subject: [ADS-L] Hep: Gerald Cohen's publication and the 7 earliest use=
> >s known to me
> >>  >
> >>  > Thanks.
> >>  >
> >>  > I have received=E2=80=94both on list and off list=E2=80=94pro and con r=
> >esponses to the proposed etymology of hep. And, yes, Garson, mentioning (th=
> >e oft-used) =E2=80=9Che=E2=80=99p=E2=80=9D was relevant (as is =E2=80=9Chep=
> >t=E2=80=9D), thanks.
> >>  >
> >>  > Of course more evidence might hep, I mean help, and I have tried to pro=
> >vide new evidence (several antedatings; good hep=E2=80=99s not easy to find=
> >!), evidence that calls into question some of the proposals (e.g., the Circ=
> >us Joe Hepp one). I still think it is the best so far (and by far) explanat=
> >ion--and likely. I especially appreciated views (on and off list) from thos=
> >e who have actually looked into the proposed explanations.
> >>  >
> >>  > Though perhaps I should tread with caution on hypothetical uses: Was La=
> >ssie au currant when she (or maybe he on TV) knew Timmy was in trouble? And=
> >  who cares and why? (Btw, does one need a real monkey to play monkey in the=
> >  middle? Or salugi?) Well, maybe, Lassie, as the only one (besides readers =
> >or TV viewers) was up to date. But that is not what I consider a parallel c=
> >ase, as Timmy, in this hypothetical example, did not tell (or presumably wo=
> >uld not have told) Lassie to get hep. Different story, different senses, (m=
> >isleadingly?) mashed up.
> >>  >
> >>  > Could the etymology be considered by some a =E2=80=9Cleap=E2=80=9D? Evi=
> >dently, yes.
> >>  >
> >>  > More relevantly, do =E2=80=9Cleaps=E2=80=9D ever occur in English?
> >>  >
> >>  > Is plugging in=E2=80=94retrojecting--an old sense to test a new sense a=
> >  reliable test?
> >>  >
> >>  > Is now inoperative etymological fallacy?
> >>  >
> >>  > Thanks
> >>  >
> >>  > Stephen Goranson
> >>  >
> >>  > https://nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttp:%2F%2Fpeople=
> >.duke.edu%2F~goranson%2F&data=3D02%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40yale.edu%7Ceb3=
> >1743450a74120a70308d7abd0dbb7%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C=
> >637166785837431349&sdata=3D5JGvjMQFgsx%2FeE4JRliz%2FdmzQD0bjcKDvyhV5mPN=
> >kZw%3D&reserved=3D0
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  > On Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 3:36 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail=
> >.com>
> >>  > wrote:
> >>  >
> >>  >> Thanks for your responses LH and Fred. I have not studied this topic;
> >>  >> hence, I do not currently have an opinion. I shared the citation for
> >>  >> "he'p" because I thought it might be pertinent and helpful.
> >>  >>
> >>  >> Here is a 1907 citation featuring slang from the racetrack domain.
> >>  >> "GOT HEP" and "gets hep" seem to mean "gained knowledge".
> >>  >> [.......]
> >>  >> Garson
> >>  >>
> >>  >> On Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 4:13 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> >>  >> wrote:
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>> I have not seen Jerry's publication, nor until this moment ever given
> >>  >> any thought to the etymology of "hep," but I agree with Larry's
> >>  >> characterization of this theory of the etymology of "hep" as "a fairly
> >>  >> healthy leap."  Indeed, I would go further and opine that the "he'p"
> >>  >> etymology strikes me as very unlikely.
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>> Of the 7 earliest uses known to Stephen, only one of them makes any
> >>  >> sense if one substitutes the word "help" for "hep."  "Help" is not eve=
> >n the
> >>  >> same part of speech as "hep."
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>> Fred
> >>  > ________________________________
> >>  >>> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> >>  >> Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> >>  >>> Sent: Thursday, February 6, 2020 2:58 PM
> >>  >>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  >>> Subject: Re: Hep: Gerald Cohen's publication and the 7 earliest uses
> >>  >> known to me
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>>> On Feb 6, 2020, at 2:37 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <
> >>  >> adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >>  >>>>
> >>  >>>> Gerald Cohen's may already have several examples of the following.
> >>  >>>> In 1892 several newspapers printed a story that employed the
> >>  >>>> dialectical spelling "get he'p" for "get help".
> >>  > [.....]
> >>  >>>>
> >>  >>>> Garson
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>> OK, but it=E2=80=99s still a fairly healthy leap from this compositio=
> >nal use,
> >>  >> where he=E2=80=99p =3D help, to the one where =E2=80=9C(get) hep=E2=80=
> >=9D =3D =E2=80=98get wise=E2=80=99.  When Timmy
> >>  >> told Lassie to get he(l)p, he wasn=E2=80=99t trying to make sure she w=
> >as  with it
> >>  >> or au courant.
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>>
> >>  >>>>
> >>  >>>> On Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 1:23 PM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu>
> >>  >> wrote:
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> I now have a copy of Gerald Cohen, "Hep/Hip Again" from Comments on
> >>  >> Etymology, May, 2018, pages 43-45.
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> If I may quote two sentences from page 43:
> >>  >>>>> "_Hep_ probably derives from the Southern variant form of _help_,
> >>  >> viz. _hep_.
> >>  >>>>> A jazz player whose playing was weak might have been advised to "ge=
> >t
> >>  >> hep" (i.e., help); such help/tutoring from an experienced jazz player =
> >could
> >>  >> make a great difference."
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> I agree with the first sentence. And Jerry got there before I did!
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> I am currently a bit less in agreement with the second sentence. On=
> >e
> >>  >> reason is that, as far as the earliest examples go (see below, some no=
> >t
> >>  >> reported here before), no music setting (much less jazz) seems to obta=
> >in,
> >>  >> at least early on. Nor a circus setting, etc.
> >>  >>>>> More to come. Comments (pro or con or otherwise) welcome.
> >>  >>>>> ***
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1899, Feb. 12, Sunday, The Times, Washington, DC.  p. 13, col. 2.
> >>  >>>>> The Night Hawk's Woes.  The Cabbie Details his Sorrows to the Coppe=
> >r.
> >>  >> (From the Chicago Chronicle) [1, whole article available online]
> >>  >>>>> <start quote, cabman speaking>
> >>  >>>>> Cold? On the dead, it was colder in that kitchen than any of them
> >>  >> Klondike suckers
> >>  >>>>> ever heard about. An' as soon as I get out I'm hep that the water's
> >>  >> froze.
> >>  >>>>> <end quote>
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1902, Jan. 3, Fri. , The Republic, St. Louis, MO p. 6 col. 2
> >>  >>>>> In a race track scheme story with "slang." Here, "man of mines" is =
> >a
> >>  >> long-shot bettor rich from lead and zinc mining.
> >>  >>>>> <start>
> >>  >>>>> The understanding that Fessenden had was that he was to get $800 of
> >>  >> the plunder for putting the man of mines "hep to the good thing."
> >>  >>>>> <end>
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1903, July 6, Evening World, NY,  10/7 " Allow me, please, to put y=
> >ou
> >>  >> hep to this oceanside thing."
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1903, Sept 21, Evening World, NY, [someone upon seeing a supposedly
> >>  >> French Waiter] " slinging hash or wearing livery gets hep."
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1903, Nov. 25,  Evening World, NY, 8/5  "....With your kind
> >>  >> permission and attention I'll put you hep to the finish."
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1904, Sept. 2, Evening World, NY "I was put hep to the scenario"
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> 1905 "...for not having put him hep to the way things had been
> >>  >> standing with me."
> >>  >>>>>
> >>  >>>>> Stephen Goranson
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  > The American Dialect Society - https://nam05.safelinks.protection.outlo=
> >ok.com/?url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Furldefense.proofpoint.com%2Fv2%2Furl%3Fu%3Dhttp=
> >-3A__www.americandialect.org%26d%3DDwIF-g%26c%3DimBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1=
> >i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc%26r%3DuUVa-8oDL2EzfbuMuowoUadHHcJ7pjul6iFkS5Pd--8%26m%3Dzw=
> >D2PSPWwwkgQ6gfWfpqEOkGRDnKnBICIu7aGE6NnNM%26s%3DwF_iwDtMEf7A1Tgt3Jwx1OsWKph=
> >es2vQqaWrkuomNbk%26e&data=3D02%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40yale.edu%7Ceb31743=
> >450a74120a70308d7abd0dbb7%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C6371=
> >66785837431349&sdata=3DKxg%2BKu1WmLrTaoYlEVtNIjfJyo98uc9g%2BtBN9NsRme0%=
> >3D&reserved=3D0=3D
> >>  >
> >>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  > The American Dialect Society - https://nam05.safelinks.protection.outlo=
> >ok.com/?url=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org&data=3D02%7C01%7Cfre=
> >d.shapiro%40yale.edu%7Ceb31743450a74120a70308d7abd0dbb7%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b=
> >4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637166785837431349&sdata=3D6SvKpg6xBnD0UoD7BL=
> >sDPS9fWPBX7VSzaU1%2B6hQ4nzM%3D&reserved=3D0
> >>  >
> >>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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