[Ads-l] "mug shot" (1935)

Wed Apr 5 05:38:37 UTC 2023

Here is an earlier instance of the verb "to mug". There are so many
possible expressions for the verb that I will stop here.

Date: February 15, 1895
Newspaper: The Cincinnati Enquirer
Newspaper Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Article: A Mob of "Guns"
Quote Page 8, Column 5
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/image/32406978/

[Begin excerpt]
One day a young fellow was caught picking a pocket In a Main-street
dry goods store. He gave the name of William Scott. He was "mugged"
and released to get out of town.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 1:22 AM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Great work, Peter and Ben. Here is the verb “to mug” with the
> pertinent sense in 1896.
>
> Date: September 09, 1896
> Newspaper: The Herald (Los Angeles Herald)
> Newspaper Location: Los Angeles, California
> Article: Gradually Getting Settled
> Quote Page 3, Column 3
> Database: Newspapers.com
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/80589735/
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The official photographer has placed his camera and apparatus ready
> for use in the gallery and from now on the criminals will be "mugged"
> within the jail.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 12:57 AM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Yes, the photographic sense of the verb "mug" can be found in the OED from
> > 1899, defined as "to photograph the face of (a person), esp. for police or
> > other official records" (v.4 def 4).
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 11:51 PM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > If you search for mug and mugging between 1900 and 1930s, in conjunction w
> > > "Rogue's gallery," you find many examples of the verb "to mug" used to
> > > refer to the act of taking a rogue's photo.
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Ben
> > > Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 8:45:31 PM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Subject: Re: "mug shot" (1935)
> > >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: "mug shot" (1935)
> > >
> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Thanks for these great finds, Garson! I'm writing about the history of "mug
> > > shot" for my Wall Street Journal column this week, and these examples help
> > > fill out the picture.
> > >
> > > --bgz
> > >
> > > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:46=E2=80=AFPM ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole@
> > > =
> > > gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Here is =E2=80=9Cmug shot=E2=80=9D with the pertinent sense in 1899, I
> > > th=
> > > ink. Please
> > > > double check the scan and metadate before using this citation.
> > > >
> > > > Date: March 01, 1899
> > > > Newspaper: The Chicago Daily News
> > > > Newspaper Location: Chicago, Illinois
> > > > Article: War Rages With Urchins
> > > > Quote Page 3, Column 2
> > > > Database: GenealogyBank
> > > >
> > > > [Begin excerpt - double check because text is degraded and difficult to
> > > > read]
> > > > They are afraid of nothing except the "copper." And even when he gets
> > > > through with them they mock him behind his back.
> > > > "Hully gee! mister, are you going to put my mug shot in de paper?"
> > > > said one of them to an artist who was sketching him. "Well, I'll be
> > > > blowed. When does it come out?"
> > > > [End excerpt]
> > > >
> > > > Garson
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:23=E2=80=AFPM ADSGarson O'Toole
> > > > <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Here is another interesting instance in 1873 showing the evolution of
> > > > =E2=80=9Cmug=E2=80=9D.
> > > > >
> > > > > Newspaper: Chicago Daily Tribune
> > > > > Newspaper: Location: Chicago, Illinois
> > > > > Date: August 22, 1873
> > > > > Article: "Stop Thief"
> > > > > Quote Page 7, Column 2
> > > > > https://www.newspapers.com/image/349288037/
> > > > >
> > > > > [Begin excerpt - check for typos]
> > > > > His preliminary examination resulted in his being held for trial.
> > > > > Yesterday morning he was taken, with three other prisoners, to the,
> > > > > photograph, or, as it is sometimes called, the "mug," gallery, that
> > > > > his prepossessing countenance might be forever preserved in the album
> > > > > at Police Headquarters. The operator, having succeeded in securing his
> > > > > negative, Keenan was given to Detective Lacky, with orders to take him
> > > > > to jail.
> > > > > [End excerpt]
> > > > >
> > > > > Garson
> > > > >
> > > > > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:11=E2=80=AFPM ADSGarson O'Toole
> > > > > <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Here is a citation in 1867 that I think is interesting because it
> > > > > > illustrates how the term evolved.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > =E2=80=9Cmugs=E2=80=9D refers to the face of a criminal suspect
> > > photo=
> > > graphed by police
> > > > > > for a rogues gallery.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Date: June 21, 1867
> > > > > > Newspaper: The National Republican
> > > > > > Newspaper Location: Washington, District of Columbia
> > > > > > Article; Attempt at Burglary and Arrest
> > > > > > Quote Page 3, Column 5
> > > > > >
> > > > > > https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/81173989/
> > > > > >
> > > > > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > > > > Justice Harper, before whom they were taken, sent them to jail to
> > > > > > await the action of the grand jury. Their "mugs" were photographed
> > > an=
> > > d
> > > > > > placed in the rogues' gallery among others of their prototypes.
> > > > > > [End excerpt]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Garson
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 9:20=E2=80=AFPM Ben Zimmer <
> > > bgzimmer at gmail.com=
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The OED3 entry for "mug" dates the meaning "a photograph or other
> > > > likeness
> > > > > > > of a person's face, esp. in police or other official records" (def
> > > > 1c) to
> > > > > > > 1887. The phrase "mug shot" with the same meaning is dated to 1950,
> > > > but
> > > > > > > here are a couple of antedatings from 1935.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > >
> > > >
> > > https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122288305/city-now-has-its-own-plant-for-=
> > > mug/
> > > <https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122288305/city-now-has-its-own-plant-for-=mug/>
> > > > > > > Waco (Tex.) News-Tribune, Oct. 3, 1935, p. 10, col. 2
> > > > > > > "City Now Has Its Own Plant for 'Mug' Shots"
> > > > > > > The Waco police department now has its own film developing plant,
> > > f=
> > > or
> > > > > > > finishing pictures of prisoners who are "mugged" by Lieut. Sam
> > > > Fuller of
> > > > > > > the police identification bureau.
> > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > > San Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 12, 1935, p. 17, col. 2
> > > [Genealogyban=
> > > k]
> > > > > > > Henry Sutherland, "Previewed During the Week by Hollywood
> > > Appraiser=
> > > "
> > > > > > > [Description of the film "The Case of the Missing Man"]
> > > > > > > Yearning to become an arty photographer, Roger gives up working for
> > > > the
> > > > > > > gazettes and sets up a fancy shop. He's reduced at length to
> > > > snapping "mug
> > > > > > > shots" of passers-by at two bits a copy, the payoff coming when his
> > > > > > > abandoned news nose quivers accurately and one of his pictures
> > > trap=
> > > s
> > > > a
> > > > > > > dangerous criminal.
> > > > > > > ---
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > There are numerous examples of "mug shot" from 1936 and later, but
> > > > in the
> > > > > > > pre-1935 results that I've seen, "shot" can be interpreted as a
> > > pas=
> > > t
> > > > > > > participle, as in "get/have your mug shot" (with "mug" construed as
> > > > OED3
> > > > > > > def 1c).
> > > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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