[Ads-l] Antedating of "Geronimo"

[Jonathan Lighter]

I think I'm the first educator/ lexicographer to seek out _Geronimo!_
(1939) [note exclamation point] to gain insight into the adoption of the
Apache chief's name as the war cry of the 501st Parachute Battalion. Just
by the way, it may be the only film in Hollywood history in which Andy
Devine turns out tbe the real hero.

In any case, I was hoping I'd see somebody jump off a cliff, if not out of
an airplane, shouting "Geronimo!"  Just as good would be 2,000 mounted
Apache warriors yelling "Geronimo!" in unison as they attack the seemingly
helpless patrol of 16 cavalrymen. (The official numbers mentioned in the
script: guess who wins?)

But no. The only actual shouting of "Geronimo!" comes at the start when an
anonymous horseman gallops into a settlement and cries "Geronimo!" to warn
that the Apache is again on the warpath.

Since Fred's source reports that "Geronimo, Geromimo" was being shouted all
over the 501st's area at Ft. Benning "a thousand times a day," it may not
have been specifically jump-related at all. It may have started simply as
an encouragement to any kind of urgent action.

JL

On Sun, Jan 1, 2023 at 10:36 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> You're correct. I need stronger glasses.
>
> JL
>
> On Sun, Jan 1, 2023 at 10:34 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Here is a link to the article which credits Private Aubrey Eberhardt
>> with first using the term during a parachute jump.
>>
>> Article title: Paramount's 1939 western GERONIMO ... a forgotten movie
>> with a giant legacy
>> Author: Ed Howard
>> https://www.b-westerns.com/geronimo.htm
>>
>> The above link was posted by Peter Reitan back in January 2017.
>> https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2017-January/146001.html
>>
>> Bill Mullins posted a citation dated April 29, 1941 for Geronimo back
>> in October 2016. I cannot find a citation dated April 19, 1941 from
>> Bill for Geronimo.
>>
>> https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-October/144693.html
>>
>> Garson
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>


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

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