[Ads-l] Earlier Citations for "Signifying" (Adjective) and "Signifying Monkey"

[Shapiro, Fred]

signifying, adj. (OED, 3., 1947)
signifying monkey (not in OED)

1943 _Apache Sentinel_ (Fort Huachuca, Arizona Army base) 17 Dec. 3/5 (Newspapers.com)
The signifying "Monkey" is making a strong come-back?  (Seen surrounded by a mass of Beautiful Ladies at the N.C.O. mess recently.)

1944 _The Duster_ (Kearney, Nebraska Army Air Force base) 24 Nov. 2/4 (Newspapers.com)
Cpl. Edward "Signifying Monkey" Chester gave me the dope on the top kick mentioned above.  By the way, if you are wondering why they call Chester the above nickname I refer you to Pvt. Lawrence A. Ervin and Cpl. Luther Weaver.  The incidents leading up to the name occurred at the football banquet at the Fort Kearney Hotel recently.

NOTE:  The Arizona Army base appears to have been an all-African-American base.  The Nebraska Army Air Force base citation seems to be referring to an African-American squadron that was part of a base with white soldiers.

Fred Shapiro

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