[Ads-l] "big cheese" 1815

Mon May 29 15:06:37 UTC 2023

The OED entry combines big cheese and main cheese

[Begin OED excerpt]
cheese, 7.a.
Originally U.S. An important or self-important person; a boss or
chief. Frequently more fully in big cheese (also occasionally main
cheese).
[End OED excerpt]

The first OED cite for “the main cheese” in this sense is dated 1899.
In the previous message I presented an 1897 cite.

The first OED cite for “the big cheese” in this sense is dated 1934.
Ben indicated that Michael Quinion gave a 1912 citation. Here is a
pertinent 1901 cite.

Date: May 4, 1901
Newspaper: The Birmingham News
Newspaper Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Poem: Play Ball (Acknowledgement to Denver Times)
Quote Page 19, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/image/605773758/?terms=%22big%20cheese%22&match=1

[Begin excerpt – double check for typos]
PLAY BALL

The day is hot, the bleachers screech
Play ball.
The battles on, and it's a peach.
Play ball.
>From many throats doth come a yell,
The fiendish racket loud to swell,
The umpire true remarks, "Oh. well,"
Play ball.

The girlies clap their little hands,
Play ball.
The pitcher like a statue stands.
Play ball.
He is the one who e'er doth please
Those lolling back In grandstand ease-
He knows he is the whole big cheese.
Play ball.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 10:37 AM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting topic, Stanton. As Ben mentions, the OED presents an 1899
> citation for "the main cheese". Here is an 1897 citation employing
> non-standard spelling:
>
> Date: January 11, 1897
> Newspaper: The St. Joseph Daily News
> Newspaper Location: St. Joseph, Missouri
> Article: Tales of the Town
> Quote Page 4, Column 4
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/558924389/?terms=%22main%20cheese%22&match=1
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> How's a feller to eat two hashes when he ain't got dough enough fur
> one? I goes into a hotel de udder day an' tells de main cheese dat
> I'se a race horse owner, and den I eats till I'se blue in de face.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 7:54 AM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 3:28 AM Stanton McCandlish <smccandlish at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > I had no idea this expression was so old.
> > >
> > > "I did a reel in the [Scottish Highland] Garb at the Highland Society of
> > > London in 1793. Some parvenus seek to share my honour as a Big Highland
> > > Cheese".
> > >
> > > William Farquharson of Monaltrie, quoted in: Armstrong, Fiona Kathryne (31
> > > August 2017). "Highlandism: Its value to Scotland and how a queen and two
> > > aristocratic women promoted the phenomenon in the Victorian age" (PhD
> > > thesis). University of Strathclyde. doi:10.48730/2m47-md74.
> > > https://stax.strath.ac.uk/concern/theses/j098zb08p - retrieved 28 May
> > > 2023.
> > > p. 22
> > >
> > > The author's own footnote for this is a bit cryptic:
> > > Appendix E: SRO/GD1/53/112, December 8th 1815, *op cit.*
> > >
> > > I looked back through previous pages but didn't find what the *op. cit.*
> > > referred to.
> > >
> >
> > The "op. cit." apparently refers back to footnote 38 on p. 5 of the thesis,
> > which gives the full citation as:
> >
> > "Appendix E: SRO/GD1/53/112 - 8th December 1815, Farquharson of Monaltrie
> > to David Stewart of Garth."
> >
> > In Appendix E (p. 364), the bibliographic information is given as:
> >
> > ---
> > Appendix E - National Archives of Scotland, Scottish Records Office
> > H.M. General Register House,
> > 2, Princes Street
> > Edinburgh
> > EH1 3YY
> > (SRO)
> > Alexander Robertson of Struan: Stewart of Garth Transcripts
> > Note: some of these are duplicated and held in the Stirling Archives
> > (MacGregor of MacGregor). See also:
> > jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/DavidStewartofGarthCorrespondence.pdf
> > [...]
> > SRO/GD1/53/112 - 8th December 1815 - Farquharson of Monaltrie to David
> > Stewart of Garth - about being a “Big Highland Cheese.”
> > ---
> >
> > The link to the PDF is archived here:
> >
> > https://web.archive.org/web/20160820011359/https://jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/DavidStewartofGarthCorrespondence.pdf
> >
> > The transcript of the relevant letter reads:
> >
> > ---
> > 8.12.15 Ballater Hse. From Wm Farquharson of Monaltrie. I've sent my seal
> > and my tartan sample I'll give to you in Edinburgh. Nobody's prouder than
> > me to be a Highlander particularly since Waterloo. I'd love to sign the
> > address. I'm a constituent member of the Highland Soc for Scotland. My
> > seal's 180 yrs old. We're the oldest clan name. My writing room is
> > furnished in Farquharson tartan. I did a real in the Garb at the Highland
> > Soc of London in 1793. Some parvenus seek to share my honour as a Big
> > Highland Cheese. I'm starting a masonic lodge here.
> > ---
> >
> > It's hard to tell what connection, if any, this has to "big cheese" as
> > attested in U.S. sources in the early 20th century. Michael Quinion has
> > this 1912 cite:
> >
> > ---
> > https://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-big1.htm
> > Roosevelt looks like the big cheese. He stands at the head of every
> > preempted party and if the greatest care is not exercised a vote will be
> > cast for him regardless of whether it is the intention or not.
> > Daily Independent, Monessen, Pennsylvania, 30 October, 1912.
> > ---
> >
> > Link on NewspaperArchive:
> > https://newspaperarchive.com/monessen-daily-independent-oct-30-1912-p-1/
> >
> > OED3 gives this earlier example of "main cheese" (s.v. _cheese_ n.1, 7a:
> > "An important or self-important person; a boss or chief"):
> >
> > ---
> > 1899   Lima (Ohio) News 10 Nov.   The fellow that she wuz stuck on was the
> > main cheese of the play. He was 'it'--the real hero.
> > ---
> >
> > OED3 further suggests this punning use of "cheese" may be related (s.v.
> > _cheese_ n.2: "With _the_. The right, correct, or best thing; something
> > first-rate, genuine, or exemplary"):
> >
> > ---
> > 1882   N.Y. Commerc. Advertiser 11 Mar. 3/1   There is a paper published in
> > Florida called the ‘Cracker’. We presume its editor is the cheese.
> > ---
> >
> > The earliest OED cite for "(the) cheese" (presumably from Urdu/Persian
> > _cīz_ "thing, thing of value") is:
> >
> > ---
> > 1840   H. D. Miles Dick Turpin xxi. 251   Skewer the jigger.., carn't
> > yer... Slog her Nan; that's the cheese.
> > ---
> >
> > --bgz
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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