[Ads-l] Antedating of "Yo-Yo"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

This is a later interpolation in the text. The book now known as _Mike and Psmith_ was first published by that title in 1953; the original, called simply _Mike_, is from 1909. The 1909 text renders the relevant line (in chapter 44 of this edition) as:

  Psmith—for even the greatest minds will sometimes unbend—was playing diabolo. That is to say, he was trying without success to raise the spool from the ground.

I don't know what version of the book Project Gutenberg used as its source, but the "Yo-Yo" version isn't in any of the earlier editions I've looked at.

Jesse Sheidlower

On Sun, Dec 29, 2024 at 12:50:45AM +0000, mr_peter_morris at outlook.com wrote:
> 
> https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10586/pg10586-images.html
> 
> The only two members of the house not out in the
> grounds when he arrived were Mike and Psmith. They
> were standing on the gravel drive in front of the boys'
>   entrance. Mike had a deck chair in one hand and a
> book in the other. Psmith—for even the greatest minds
>   will sometimes unbend—was wrestling with a Yo-Yo.
> That is to say, he was trying without success to keep
> the spool spinning. He smoothed a crease out of his
>   waistcoat and tried again. He had just succeeded in
> getting the thing to spin when Mr. Downing arrived.
> The sound of his footsteps disturbed Psmith and brought
> the effort to nothing.
> 
> Mike and Psmith chapter 20
> P.G. Wodehouse
> 1909
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------ Original Message ------
> From "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Date 28/12/2024 22:27:15
> Subject Antedating of "Yo-Yo"
> 
> >yo-yo (OED 1915)
> >
> >1911 Orchard and Farm Irrigation June 20/4 (Google Books)
> >
> >"Yo-Yo"  THE CLIMBING TOP  Most fascinating toy ever invented.
> >
> >Fred Shapiro
> >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org