[Ads-l] Antedating of "Zoot Suit"

[mr_peter_morris@outlook.com]

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/269941/does-anyone-happen-to-know-more-about-the-word-zoot-and-this-use-of-speech-cal

American Notes & Queries, volume 3 (July 1943)

"Another white haberdasher in Harlem, Charlie Kelly, has a variety of 
documents to back up his claim that he sold the first complete zoot suit 
in 1937. The New York Times evidence (June 11, 1943, p. 21) carries the 
zoot suit back to only February, 1940, "at Frierson-McEver's in 
Gainsville, Ga."

Worth checking the NYT article.

I wonder  if Charlie's alleged documents can be found today.



------ Original Message ------
From "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 29/04/2025 20:50:23
Subject Antedating of "Zoot Suit"

>zoot suit (OED 1942)
>
>1941 Los Angeles Evening Citizen News 5 Aug. 6/7 (Newspapers.com)
>
>Pot, Pan and Skillet ... have rapidly become comedy favorites by virtue of their performances in "Jump for Joy," the all-Negro musical revue which stars Duke Ellington .... highlighted by a side-splitting performance in "Made to Order," a tailor-shop sketch ... in which Pot orders a "zoot suit with a reet pleet."
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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