[Ads-l] crook (1872)

[Ben Zimmer]

More "crook" history in my Wall St. Journal column, timed for the 50th
anniversary of Nixon's "I am not a crook" press conference:
https://on.wsj.com/40FImWl

On Thu, Nov 16, 2023 at 2:29 AM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> "Crook" in the sense 'a thief or swindler; dishonest person' is in HDAS
> from 1877 and OED2 from 1879. Earlier uses appear in Chicago newspapers,
> with the Evening Mail leading the way.
>
> ---
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chicago-evening-mail-professional-cr/135280702/
> Chicago Evening Mail, Sept. 5, 1872, p. 4, col. 1
> Twenty professional "crooks" counted between the Sherman House and Madison
> street bridge -- and it was a poor day for thieves too.
> ---
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chicago-evening-mail-roughs-crooks/135280717/
> Chicago Evening Mail, Sept. 9, 1872, p. 4, col. 5
> A crowd was in attendance. composed largely of roughs, "crooks" and
> villains, such as would naturally take an interest in the state of their
> confrere, or rather leader, in outlawry.
> ---
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chicago-evening-mail-cracksmen-and-c/135281315/
> Chicago Evening Mail, Oct. 17, 1872, p. 4, col. 4
> Bill Wray, one of the most notorious "cracksmen" and "crook" in the city
> who, in the last fifteen years, has accumulated $70,000 in the "business,"
> appeared in the Criminal Court this morning.
> ---
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chicago-evening-mail-the-crooks-got/135280730/
> Chicago Evening Mail, Dec. 16, 1872, p. 4, col. 3
> It is believed that the latter was the more profitable of the two, as the
> "crooks" got away with some $500 worth of jewelry.
> ---
>
> --bgz
>

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