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

[Jonathan Lighter]

Scroll down and enlarge. The pic is otherwise very hard to see.

JL

On Sat, Mar 27, 2021 at 11:14 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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."
>


-- 
"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