[Ads-l] Antedating of "NFL"

[Peter Reitan]

The New York Daily News used NFL as early as April 13, 1938.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/165309347/

It used NFL again in October of the same year, and regularly thereafter.

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 9:49:07 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Antedating of "NFL"

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Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
Subject:      Antedating of "NFL"
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NFL (OED 1946)

1944 Dayton Herald 19 Apr. 13/1 (Newspapers.com)

A suggestion that National Football Leaguee (NFL) coaches be allowed to coa=
ch from the sidelines ... will be voted on today at the meeting of the NFL.

Fred Shapiro


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