[Ads-l] "Who was Kilroy?" June 26, 1945 (in-print antedating?)

[Jonathan Lighter]

While we wait, here's a recent depiction of the Kilroy plane that gives
details of its whereabouts in early June, 1944 - without of course, proving
that the Kilroy name was inscribed at that time.

http://www.sealmodel.com/product_details.php?item_id=3406

It may well be that a Kilroy was the regular pilot or other crewman, but,
again, who nose?  Not that it matters.

JL

On Sat, Mar 27, 2021 at 10:54 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:

> The December 17, 1945 issue of Newsweek has a picture of Smoe that is
> a closer match to Kilroy. Smoe is peering over a fence. Smoe has a
> Kilroy-like nose and hands. The Newsweek Smoe is more elaborate than
> the simple Kilroy figure because the Newsweek illustration is by a
> skilled artist. I will follow this message with a post containing the
> text of two accompanying letters about Smoe.
>
> Garson
>
> On Sat, Mar 27, 2021 at 10:18 AM ADSGarson O'Toole
> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I meant to say: "Smoe" does not have hands, but he does have a
> > Kilroy-like nose.
> >
> > My word processing software repeatedly changed "smoe" to "some".
> > Garson
> >
> > On Sat, Mar 27, 2021 at 10:14 AM ADSGarson O'Toole
> > <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > What is the earliest solid citation for a picture of Kilroy? Here is a
> > > December 1945 citation that includes a picture of the character "Smoe"
> > > which is similar to Kilroy. Follow the link to see a clipping with
> > > illustrations.
> > >
> > > "Some" does not have hands, but he does have a Kilroy-like nose
> > >
> > > Date: December 31, 1945
> > > Newspaper: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
> > > Newspaper Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> > > Article: Smoe Is Watching, So Look Out!
> > > Author: Constance Humphrey (Post-Gazette Staff Writer)
> > > Quote Page 9, Column 2 to 4
> > > Clipped by: sslunsford6 on 29 Jun 2019
> > > Database: Newspapers.com
> > >
> > > https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33355395/smoe-is-watching-so-look-out/
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > You're likely to find Smoe's countenance scrawled on a piece of paper
> > > in your coat pocket, his long and bulbous nose draped over the edge of
> > > a horizontal line. His half-shut eyes will peer accusingly at you. His
> > > motto, "Smoe Is Watching" will send 'a shiver up your spine.
> > > . . .
> > > Smoe has friends and helpers, too. There's "Nate the Fox," who sticks
> > > his nose, eyes and ears around corners just like Smoe. The sight of
> > > Nate is enough to make you swear off for life.
> > >
> > > Other friends of Smoe are the now-famous Kilroy whose name appeared
> > > everywhere in advance of United States troops during the war. "Kilroy
> > > was here," his legend reads, and don't be surprised if you find it
> > > scrawled on the mirror as you shave tomorrow.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > Garson
> > >
> > > On Sat, Mar 27, 2021 at 9:32 AM <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > While I have no problem believing a 1943 or 1944 date for "Kilroy,"
> the restored aircraft is not good evidence. For one thing, it has invasion
> stripes, but the aircraft in question was manufactured in 1945, some nine
> months after D-Day, and never left the United States, used for training.
> Clearly the restorers took some liberties and produced a "representative"
> paint scheme rather than an accurate one.
> > > >
> > > > Similarly, the buttons aren't great evidence. All sorts of
> after-the-fact memorabilia are produced for sale (sometimes honestly sold
> as replicas, sometimes not). Or, they could genuinely be WWII-era, but the
> exact date an estimate. Without documentation of provenance, I wouldn't
> trust it.
> > > >
> > > > From my own experience recently researching Kilroy for my site, I
> had to give up finding a WWII-era photo to illustrate the entry. The only
> genuine ones I could find were a couple of poor-quality scans from
> newspaper archives—all from 1945. Virtually all those on the web are
> photoshopped or stills from WWII video games that look good at low
> resolution but are obviously CGI when examined closely. (My fave was a
> Sherman tank in Normandy that bore the words "Kilroy was here" and directly
> below that "Epstein was murdered.")
> > > >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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