[Ads-l] Antedating "mammoth" (big) - 1801 (was "big cheese" 1815)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The OED has a fun citation from Thomas Jefferson for the adjective
form: "Mammoth-veal" dated October 1801. (After Mammoth Ox.) OED also
has "Mammoth bread" and "Mammoth Cheese". Mammoth was capitalized.

[Begin OED excerpt]
mammoth, n. and adj.
B. adj. Originally U.S.
Comparable to the mammoth in size; huge, gigantic.
The reference in quot. 1803   is to a large cheese presented to Jefferson.

1801   T. Jefferson Let. 22 Oct. in Papers (2008) XXXV. 479   I
recieved [sic]..a present of a quarter of a Mammoth-veal which at 115.
days old weighed 438. lb.
1802   O. Oldschool in Port Folio 30 Jan. 31/3   A baker in this city
offers Mammoth bread for sale.
1803   J. Davis Trav. U.S.A. ix. 329   Its extraordinary dimensions
induced some wicked wag of a federalist to call it the Mammoth Cheese.
[End OED excerpt]

James Eric Lawson wrote:
> Good early finding, Garson. That researcher's clippings
> collection suggests an interest in large prehistoric, legendary
> and fictional creatures (viz clippings about Alley Oop,
> Godzilla, dinosaurs, etc.) rather than an interest in the
> particular adjective.

Good point, James. Exploring the adjective was not the primary concern
of the researcher. He did use the label "First Mammoth adjective" for
the clipping, so apparently the researcher recognized what he found.

Garson

On Thu, Jun 1, 2023 at 1:50 PM James Eric Lawson <jel at nventure.com> wrote:
>
> Good early finding, Garson. That researcher's clippings collection
> suggests an interest in large prehistoric, legendary and fictional
> creatures (viz clippings about Alley Oop, Godzilla, dinosaurs, etc.)
> rather than an interest in the particular adjective.
>
> On 6/1/23 10:38, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
> > Great work, Peter. Another researcher clipped the same text from a
> > newspaper published a bit earlier. Thus, investigators are interested
> > in this adjective.
> >
> > Date: May 11, 1801
> > Newspaper: Hartford Courant
> > Newspaper Location: Hartford, Connecticut
> > Quote Page 3
> >
> > https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-first-mammoth-adjective/29042813/
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > Trenton, April 28.
> > On Thursday last was brought to this place the famous MAMMOTH OX, bred
> > by John Humphries of Hopewell, in this county.
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > Garson
> >
> > On Thu, Jun 1, 2023 at 1:12 PM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> “Mammoth,” as an adjective referring to something big.
> >>
> >> A few months earlier than my last post.  Not related to a big cheese.
> >>
> >> [Begin excerpt]
> >> New Jersey. Trenton, April 28. On Thursday last was brought to this place the famous MAMMOTH OX, bred by John Humphries of Hopewell, in this county.
> >> [End excerpt]
> >>
> >> Green Mountain Patriot (Peacham, Vermont), May 28, 1801, page 3.
> >>
> >> I was a bit disappointed to find it earlier than the “mammoth cheese” because it seemed to be a more interesting story if the adjective sense of “mammoth” had originated in reference to a “big cheese.”
> >>
> >> Mammoths were in the news at the time, because Peale’s museum in Philadelphia had just assembled and displayed a full mammoth skeleton for the first time anywhere.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> --
> James Eric Lawson
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org