[Ads-l] Antedating of "Mulligan"

[dave@wilton.net]

The 1919 Colorado Springs citation that Peter Reitan found is a reprint of the 1918 Ogden article that Fred has just found.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2023 2:06pm
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Antedating of "Mulligan"



That is an intriguing citation. Back in 2017 Peter Reitan clipped that
citation in "The Ogden Standard":

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ogden-standard/10716202/

Peter's article about "mulligan" contains a pertinent analysis which
suggests that "this early 'mulligan' referred to taking a big swing at
the ball":

https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2017/05/hey-mulligan-man-second-shot-at-history.html

[Begin excerpt]
As early as 1919, a cricketer, using language very similar to the
golfing sense, might "take a 'mulligan' at" the ball. In context, it
appears that this early "mulligan" referred to taking a big swing at
the ball – the kind of swing "Swat Mulligan" might take:

If it is a bad ball, "off the wicket," he may take a "mulligan" at it
and knock it over the fence, "out of bounds" they call it.

The Colorado Springs Gazette, April 19, 1919, page 12.

This is the only example of "mulligan" in this form that I or anyone
else has found. But there are numerous references using the full
name, "Swat Mulligan," to describe a big hitter in baseball or golf.
[End excerpt]

I am not sure why Peter refers to the year 1919. Perhaps the article
should be updated to say 1918 based on the citation in “The Ogden
Standard”.

Garson O'Toole

On Sun, Nov 26, 2023 at 1:19 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> mulligan (OED, n.2, 1936)
>
> 1918 _Ogden_ (Utah) _Standard_ 12 Oct. 17/3 (Newspapers.com)
>
> If it is a bad ball, "off the wicket," he may take a "mulligan" at it and knock it over the fence, "out of bounds" they call it.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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