[Ads-l] crook (1872)

[Peter Reitan]

Interestingly, during the several years prior to those early uses of "crook", a wildly popular musical extravaganza/stage show called "The Black Crook" swept the country.

The title character of the "Black Crook" was an old man, with a bent spine or humpback, who carried a crooked stick, who practiced sorcery and made a pact with the devil for money.  He was not a robber, as such, but did many bad things.

The play was first produced in 1866, and played for over a year and a half in its first theater in New York City, and many nights in all of the big cities, and toured the country in various forms.  There were burlesques of the show, songs inspired by the show, a hat named for the show, copycat shows and numerous other tie-ins.

The plot and acting of the play were notoriously unremarkable, but the show was mostly famous for importing European ballet dancers who wore short skirts, and for its elaborate sets, lighting and mechanical effects.

Might the widespread use of the play and character's name have influenced the new word, "crook," in the sense of a thief or swindler?
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Sent: Friday, November 17, 2023 2:13 PM
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Subject: Re: crook (1872)

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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=E2=80=AFAM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wro=
te:

> "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 Madiso=
n
> 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-go=
t/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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