[Ads-l] "big cheese" 1815

[Baker, John]

It is “I did a reel”; “real” is an ADS-L transcription error.

We have not seen a facsimile; this is from transcripts of correspondence that someone placed online at jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/DavidStewartofGarthCorrespondence.pdf<http://jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/DavidStewartofGarthCorrespondence.pdf>. That link no longer works, but the page was archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20160820011359/https://jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/DavidStewartofGarthCorrespondence.pdf<https://web.archive.org/web/20160820011359/https:/jamesirvinerobertson.co.uk/DavidStewartofGarthCorrespondence.pdf>.  Transcription errors no doubt exist there too, but of course we have no way of knowing if “Big Highland Cheese” is accurately transcribed or not.


John Baker


From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 11:08 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: "big cheese" 1815

External Email - Think Before You Click


Maybe "I did a reel"?

JL

On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 10:55 PM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com<mailto:pjreitan at hotmail.com>> wrote:

> Has anyone seen a facsimile of the original?
>
> What's the likelihood that it's "big Highland chief"?
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>> on behalf of
> Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM<mailto:wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>>
> Sent: Monday, May 29, 2023 2:00:17 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
> Subject: Re: "big cheese" 1815
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>>
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM<mailto:wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>>
> Subject: Re: "big cheese" 1815
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Need I add that I'm skeptical of both the Scottish and Kiwi exx.?
>
> Especially since "Big Highland Cheese" includes a very unusual tmesis,
> which seems to suggest that "big cheese" was already lexicalized and
> familiar.
>
> Just my 2c.
>
> JL
>
> On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 3:51=E2=80=AFPM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmai
> =
> l.com>
> wrote:
>
> > 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
> cas=
> e
> > 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.,
> Ar=
> e
> > now on exhibition at our store.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Mon, May 29, 2023 at 2:14=E2=80=AFPM Steven Losie <stevenlosie at gmail.c
<mailto:stevenlosie at gmail.c%0b>> =
> om>
> > 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=E2=80=99s? 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<http://www.americandialect.org>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth=
> ."
> >
>
>
> --=20
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<http://www.americandialect.org>
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<http://www.americandialect.org>
>


--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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