[Ads-l] "big cheese" 1815

[Jonathan Lighter]

FWIW, big cheeses were sometimes a big deal.

1802 The Wasp (Hudson, N.Y.) (July 31) 2: The following Toast, drank [sic]
by the Cheshire folks, who made the big Cheese [sic] for Mr.
Jefferson....May the splendour of the Republican SUN continue to eclipse
the twinklings of the Western Lightning Bug.

1828 Poulson's American Daily Advertiser (Phila.) (Nov. 14, 1828) 3: "A BIG
CHEESE. The Berkshire American states that Mr. Israel Cole, of North Adams,
has made a "hundred pound cheese to be presented to Jackson in case he was
elected President."

1885 Buffalo [N.Y.] Evening News (Nov. 7) 4: "FREE SHOW!" The Two Big
Cheese [sic] CITY OF BUFFALO, 3398 lbs.,  VILLAGE OF AURORA 3394 lbs., Are
now on exhibition at our store.

JL

On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 2:14 PM Steven Losie <stevenlosie at gmail.com> wrote:

> In case nobody has seen it, Green's Dictionary of Slang cites an 1885
> newspaper article in New Zealand for "big cheese":
>
> [begin quote]
> What attraction is there for Ken at the manager’s? Is it to see that big
> cheese?
> [end quote]
> Source: Observer and Freelance (Wellington, NZ) 5 Sept. 1885 p.4/2
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


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