[Ads-l] shenanegin antedated (?) to 1854

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

Way back when, Stephen Goranson took a look at "shenanigan" and variants
and reported an August, 1854 usage. See message below.

I haven't seen anything pre-dating his find reported since, but correct me
if I've overlooked something.

Here are some only very slightly earlier appearances, also from California
newspapers. (Note that the third, which appeared after Stephen's August
example, repeats the same "come the 'shenanigan'" form.)

-- Bonnie

-----------------------------

It is the intention of this ruse to get the opposition, if possible, to
agree to go into Convention, when after some *chenanigan* at a given signal
-- most probably the drop of the hat, or, as the General is fond of
military music, the tap of the drum -- the martial candidate is to be
dropped like a hot potatoe [sic], and David rung in.

(Here, "chenanigan" is italicized. -- Bonnie)

[From "Letter from 'Borax' -- No. 4," from San Francisco, dated 10 April
1854, printed in Mariposa Gazette, 14 April 1854, p. 2.]

--------------------------

The Democratic Convention held in this city yesterday passed off with
considerable jarring, and no few discordant votes. There was considerable
"shenanigan" going on among them, and it is hardly supposable that the
ill-feelings engendered are yet quieted down.

[From "San Joaquin Democratic Convention," dated 9 July 1854, printed in
Sacramento Daily Union, 10 July 1854, p. 2.]

--------------------------

He then would state some of the principles of the part; First of all he
would have them to know it was on the square! and why was it on the square?
Why? Because it didn't intend to "come the 'shenanigan'" -- that was it!

[From "First Performance of the Original Dolly Wags at Cayoteville," The
Nevada (California) Journal, 18 August 1854, p. 1.]


On Sun, Jul 5, 2015 at 11:03 AM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:

---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      shenanegin antedated (?) to 1854
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> OED has shenanigan from 1855, "Origin obscure." The question mark in the
> su=
> bject line indicates that I did not check all the many known spellings in
> e=
> very likely-suspect place. I think this antedates ads-l archive and
> several=
>  other sites. Green's I don't have at hand. HDAS vol. with S, even less at
> =
> hand.
>
>
> The newspaper reports on a suspected murder. Two men fought, apparently a
> m=
> oney dispute; both lost blood; one died of a knife wound. The incident was
> =
> reported in Daily Placer Times and Transcript, San Francisco CA, "Death of
> =
> Mr. Way Inquest," July 31, 1854 page 2 col. 1. [Am. Hist. N.]
>
> Then on August 3, 1854 the same newspaper p. 2 col. 3 reported
> "Examination=
>  of H. B. Atkins," the accused murderer. It reports the testimony of a
> witn=
> ess (name not reported), called by the defence, after some others attested
> =
> to Atkins' "excellent character," "who swore that he saw Way about 7
> o'cloc=
> k, on Saturday evening [the night of the killing], and was hailed by him;
> W=
> ay told him that he had just had another fuss with Atkins, and that he was
> =
> now going around again; he thought that Atkins wanted to come the
> "shenaneg=
> in" over him....
>
>
> Stephen Goranson
>
> http://people.duke.edu/~goranson/
>
>

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