[Ads-l] 1783 proposed etymology of quiz

[Stephen Goranson]

Thanks, all, for the replies, which include much that I did not know. I did see that Green's Dictionary of Slang has for Quiz, n. [? Lat. quis? who?]--note the first ?.

With all due respect to Pascal, Jerry, and James and Jonathon for their very fine contributions, I don't agree about the quis proposal.

I say that the 1783 text has it right:
quere, an OED-attested spelling of queer
plus
phizz, countenance, itself clipped from physiognomy
together contracted.

Here I stand.
Stephen C. Goranson
https://people.duke.edu/~goranson/
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of James Eric Lawson <jel at NVENTURE.COM>
Sent: Monday, October 2, 2023 1:39 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: 1783 proposed etymology of quiz

I see now that in May 2023 Pascal covered much and more of the same
ground I just (this evening) covered, including the 1783 "Advice to the
Universities",

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015013157279&seq=472&q1=quiz__;!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yf8TLIu99$

&tc. in his 12 May 2017 (edited 21 May 2023) article:

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://wordhistories.net/2017/05/12/origin-of-quiz/__;!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yf0JVjT9-$

He seems, however, to have possibly overlooked, or at least did not
remark, the earliest use of 'quiz' that I found, 24 April 1780 (date
from end of preface),

1780  John Hope *Hope’s Curious and comic missellaneous works, started
in his walks ...* (HathiTrust) 261   But now it seems no longer odd;/For
here thou say’st, my little quiz!/(How could I read it in thy phiz?)

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433074965827&seq=281&q1=quiz__;!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yf5ryikXp$

Also remarkable, with reference to the etymology and general sense of
both noun and verb, is the 1779 contextual evidence:

1779  *A dictionary of the Norman or Old French language; collected from
such acts of Parliament, Parliament rolls, journals, acts of state,
records, law books, ...* (HathiTrust) 199/2  Quis, quise, quiz, *sought,
searched for, drawn out, entered up.*

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark*3A*2F13960*2Ft3nv9dn01&seq=211&q1=quiz__;JSUl!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yfx2cTcTP$


On 10/1/23 20:06, James Eric Lawson wrote:
> Despite having asked to be subscribed to Comments on Etymology, I don't
> have the "two ... items" to read, but here is a different explanation of
> the origin offered not quite two years later:
>
> 1785  *Dunlap and Claypoole’s American Daily Advertiser* (Philadelphia,
> Pennsylvania) 3 May 2/2 (newspapers.com)  A smart man is now called a
> pink, and a modest man in grave attire a *quiz*. The word *quiz* was of
> Cambridge origin, from the Latin adage, *vir bonus est quis*, &c. it
> grew in disuse for a confiderable time, but is now revived by the
> celebrated military critic, and admitted into his catalogue of catch words.
>
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.newspapers.com/article/dunlap-and-claypooles-american-daily-ad/132766293/__;!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yf2iabvBF$
>
>
>
> On 10/1/23 17:38, Cohen, Gerald Leonard wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Stephen, Pascal Tréguer already noticed the 1783 quote, and here now
>> are two bibliographic items on the etymology of quiz:
>> 1.  Pascal Tréguer and Gerald Cohen:  Possible origin of
>>
>>       18th century quiz (person of peculiar or ridiculous appearance)
>>
>>        Comments on Etymology, April 2019, vol. 48, no. 7, pp. 2-25.
>>
>>
>>   2. Gerald Cohen:  QUIZ – How did its meaning change from someone or
>> something ridiculous to informal test? Comments on Etymology, Oct.
>> 2020, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 2-4.
>>
>>
>> I am sending a copy of this to Pascal in case he wishes to comment
>>
>> on it  He deserves the major credit for our April 19 COE issue.
>>
>> And btw (for all ads-l readers) Pascal's very interesting online blog
>> is https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://wordhistories.net__;!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yf5xNdQrG$ <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://wordhistories.net/__;!!OToaGQ!r8cWINKQcPieroqeeoRZ7sKUfpnB2wGhmiaTHkxulWdZHJNiV3-YYPEFN1rAJFi3yp2Yf1hY9JCO$ >
>>
>>
>> Best. -- Jerry
>>
>> ________________________________
>>   Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU> wrote, October 1, 2023 3:22 PM:
>>
>> "....a number of the Scholars [at Harrow] seeing that they were
>> strangers, =
>> had gathered about them, calling them ludicrous names, such as bucks,
>> blood=
>> s, and quizzes [quizzes in italics], which latter was explained by Mr.
>> Bear=
>> croft, as the cant word of the school for the year, being an
>> abbreviation o=
>> f the words [italic next two:] quere phizzes, and that the Defendants
>> had p=
>> ulled the hair of the Plaintiffs, spit upon them, and otherwise ill
>> treated=
>>   them..."
>> Stamford Mercury, Thurs. June 19, 1783, p.3 c.3. Gale.
>> Also reported in a GB book as 1783.
>>
>> SG

--
James Eric Lawson

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