[Ads-l] Antedatings of "screwball"

[Laurence Horn]

So "Stewball" started out as "Skewball", who started out as "Skewbald", not
to be confused with "Piebald"--a more widely attested equine but with no
musical legacy.


On Thu, Aug 11, 2022 at 9:09 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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>

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