[Ads-l] Antedating of "singer-songwriter"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent citations, Steven. I do not know what the OED editors will
think of the first citation with the comma separating the terms.
Here is a hyphenated instance in 1943.

Date: August 19, 1943
Newspaper: Atlantic City Press
Newspaper Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey
Article: Joe Howard Coming To Hamid's Pier
Quote Page 7, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-of-atlantic-city-singer-songwriter/128486291/

[Begin excerpt]
The singer-songwriter, who authored "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now,"
"Bicycle Built For Two," and other timeless ballads, will be making
his first appearance on this historic amusement pier, although he has
appeared in this resort in top-flight revues, vaudeville and night
clubs.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 12:52 PM Steven Losie <stevenlosie at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> OED3 dates "singer-songwriter" to 1949. This first one appears to be
> authentic, if slightly ambiguous:
>
> [begin quote]
> The young singer, song-writer who wins a radio amateur contest falls in
> love with the rich girl who is masquerading under the name of Margaret
> Jones and pawns his medal to get enough nickels to telephone all the girls
> of that name in the directory.
> [end quote]
> Source: Petaluma Argus-Courier (Petaluma, CA), Jan 4, 1936, p.3, col.6
> Article title: Forthcoming Pictures At Theaters Reviewed
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> This one is less ambiguous. There appears to be a missing "on" or "at"
> toward the end of the sentence:
>
> [begin quote]
> Johnny Mercer, singer-songwriter, will be Bing Crosby's guest on the Kraft
> Music Hall, Thursday, January 4, at 9:00 p.m. over NBC.
> [end quote]
> Source: The Waterbury Democrat (Waterbury, CT), Jan 4, 1945, p.11, col.1
> Article title: Wavelets
> Author: Bill Farrington
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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