[Ads-l] Antedating of "square" and "Squaresville"

[Steven Losie]

SQUARE (OED3, adj., sense II.10.d., 1946)
This is the slang meaning, in the sense of "conventional, old-fashioned".
Note that GDoS quotes the New York Age, 12 Oct 1940, which predates this,
but is the noun form. ("Don't be no square" in the New York Age, vs. "Don't
be square" in the below citation.)

[begin quote]
Get hep! Keep in step' Jam it son! Hit that drum! Don't be dicty, don't be
square! Jive and sing and swing that thing!
[end quote]
Source: Muskogee Daily Phoenix (Muskogee, Oklahoma), 17 May 1942, p.18,
col.1 (newspapers.com)
Article title: Three Rip-Roaring Comedies Are Featured At The Ritz This Week
Author: Paul Sadler

SQUARESVILLE (OED3, 1956) (GDoS, 1953)

[begin quote]
To the ickie from Squaresville, who doesn't savvy the jive: Why don't you
get your boots laced, get down in the dirty old ditch and dig deep with the
reet beat, and then you'll be hep when the hot men feed the cats.
[end quote]
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia), 2 July 1943, p.9, col.2 (
newspapers.com)
Article title: Letterettes in Fifty Words / Greek Wins Popularity Steaks

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