[Ads-l] Antedating of "Slapstick"

[Shapiro, Fred]

slapstick (OED, 2.a., 1906)  1886 Enquirer (Cincinnati) 16 Aug. 8/3 (Newspapers.com)  In these days of slap-stick comedy ... you can not but help hail with delight the slightest attempt toward elevating the present standard theatrical fare.

slapstick (OED, 2.b., 1926)  1915 Birmingham News 14 Mar. 11/8 (Newspapers.com)  Several of the Universal companies have been showing straight comedies, more or less and now President Laemmle announces an effort to produce more of them, eliminating all of the slapstick possible.

Fred Shapiro



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