[Ads-l] Antedating of "Cyclist"

[Peter Reitan]

Cyclist - 1878.

The term seems to have originated in England.  The earliest couple 
examples (this one and Fred Shapiro's of September of 1879) are both 
from England.  The earliest two American examples I've seen are 
references to an English cyclist visiting Boston and to an English 
cycling periodical called, "Cyclist," in November 1879.

Jackson's Oxford Journal, Oxford, Oxfordshire, June 29, 1878, page 7. 
Newspapers.com

"Returning to the King's Arms, the 'cyclists sat down to a substantial 
knife and fork tea . . . ."


The Boston Globe, November 8, 1879, page 2.

"'Billy' Cann, the Englishman, as he is called by his good-natured 
master, Mr. Harry Etherington, is just such another geneal and 
warm-hearted 'cyclist. . . ."


The Fitchburg Sentinel (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), November 11, 1879, 
page 2.

"There is in London a whole literature of bicycling; not only the 
'Bicycling Times,' . . . but the 'Bicycling News' and the 'Bicycle 
Journal' . . . and the 'Bicycle' and 'Bicycle Annual' for yearly gift 
books, while a new weekly paper, the 'Cyclist,' is announced, to still 
further till the field."



------ Original Message ------
From: "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
To: ADS-L at listserv.uga.edu
Sent: 10/3/2020 3:42:06 AM
Subject: Antedating of "Cyclist"

>---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>Subject:      Antedating of "Cyclist"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>cyclist (OED 1882)
>
>1879 _Bell's Life_ 20 Sept. 9 (19th Century U.K. Periodicals)  In all proba=
>bility the open run will take place the first Saturday in October, when gen=
>tlemen members of other clubs, and especially 'cyclists, will be welcome.
>
>1881 _Bell's Life_ 5 Feb. 12 (19th Century U.K. Periodicals)  THE WHEELMAN'=
>S YEAR BOOK contains a fund of information intended for the use and instruc=
>tion of cyclists in every branch of their favourite pursuit.
>
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
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