[Ads-l] Antedatings of "screwball"

[Jonathan Lighter]

I

1866: OED (in cricket)

1839  _Sun_ (Baltimore) (June 10) 3: AUCTION OF DURHAM
CATTLE..._Screwball_, red and white, bred by Gen. Gresham Parsons, of
Brighton, Mass.

Doubtless an unlisted variant of "skewbald." Cf. "Skewball was a
racehorse...."

II

1933: OED

1932  _Milwaukee Journal _ (Nov. 8) 24: Johnny “Screwball” Blood – Whence
that “screwball”? Well, sir, it’s this way – Mr. Blood is a bit of an
eccentric. He is inclined to cut capers.

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

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