[Ads-l] Antedating of "Geronimo"

Sun Jan 1 13:28:05 UTC 2023

Great work, Fred and James. The Unz database has the pertinent issue
of "Collier's". The cover date on the issue of "Collier's" is later
than the article in "The News-Journal" of Brigham, Utah, but the
"Collier's" article was seen by the journalist at "The News-Journal".
Hence, the "Collier's" article was written on or before April 11,
1941.

Date: April 19, 1941 (written and seen on or before April 11, 1941)
Periodical: Collier's Weekly
Article: Our New Army
Start Page 24, Quote Page 25

https://www.unz.com/print/Colliers-1941apr19-00024/

[Begin excerpt - please double check for OCR errors]
FORT BENNING, GEORGIA . Shortly before forty-seven members of the
501st Parachute Battalion were selected to begin training in mass
jumping, a movie called Geronimo was exhibited at the Post Exchange.
For some reason which nobody seems able to explain the jumpers made
Geronimo their rallying cry. Now, each man shouts the word lustily as
he dives out into space. The original forty-seven parachutists have
been augmented by several hundred, and training has advanced to the
point where an entire company will jump at one time.
[End excerpt]

There was a discussion thread on this mailing list back in January
2017 about the battle cry “Geronimo”.

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2017-January/145991.html
https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2017-January/145994.html

Peter Reitan found an article in "The Baltimore Sun" of May 8, 1941
that reprinted the key section of the "Collier's" article.

Garson

On Sun, Jan 1, 2023 at 7:52 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> And a very slight further antedating (with some etymological content) ...
>
> 1941 News-Journal (Brigham, Utah) 11 Apr. 2/2 (Newspapers.com)  According to Collier's edition of April 19, 1941, shortly before forty-seven members of the 501st Parachute Battalion were selected to begin training in mass jumping, a movie called "Geronimo" was exhibited at the Post Exchange.  Now each man shouts Geronimo as he dives out into space.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, January 1, 2023 6:18 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Geronimo"
>
> Grest find, James !
>
> Here's a slightly earlier citation:
>
> 1941 Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer 27 Apr. 11/5 (Newspapers.com)  As members of the battalion jump from the planes they yell "Geronimo" to show that they aren't frightened.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of James Eric Lawson <jel at NVENTURE.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, January 1, 2023 4:00 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Geronimo"
>
> 1941  _The Times_ (Munster, Indiana) 22 Jun 1/1 'Geronimo' Is Yell of
> the 'Chute Boys (headline)
>
> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newspapers.com%2Fclip%2F115559007%2Fgeronimo-yell-all%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7Cc0d0889cad284bc2663e08daebea01f5%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638081687532905082%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=aWOMKd%2BvRHpBpj%2Bqz8ueu%2Bk4ovER3B2afFDhqqcwQHw%3D&reserved=0
>
> On 12/31/22 11:19, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
> > Geronimo (OED 1942 [30 Nov.])
> >
> > 1942 Yank 8 July 12  Holding an air-ground communication set to his ear, he can hear the piercing "Geronimo!" yell as the men leap.
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> --
> James Eric Lawson
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