[Ads-l] Antedating of "Emcee" (Noun and Verb)

[mr_peter_morris@outlook.com]

I'm not sure if this is useful.  It's a statement that someone was 
offered
the position of emcee in Jan or Feb 1929, which indicates the word was
in use by then.

Not sure what date the actual article is.

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Indiana_Magazine_of_History/jpI1AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=emcee&dq=emcee&printsec=frontcover


------ Original Message ------
From "ADSGarson O'Toole" 
<00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 20/07/2025 01:52:01
Subject Re: Antedating of "Emcee" (Noun and Verb)

>Following Fred's lead with the variant spelling "emsee":
>In October 1929 a humor column in an Australian newspaper reprinted a
>job seekers advertisement. The job seeker bragged of his
>qualifications and used the name "Emsee." I suspect that the job
>seeker viewed himself as a master of ceremonies.
>Follow the link to see a clipping.
>
>Date: Oct 19, 1929
>Newspaper: Smith's Weekly
>Newspaper Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
>Article: Snapshots (Reprint of job advertisement in humor column)
>Quote Page 12, Column 7
>Database: Newspapers.com
>
>https://www.newspapers.com/article/smiths-weekly-emsee/177032238/
>
>[Begin excerpt]
>The Violet
>EXTRACT from advertising pages of
>"Sydney Morning Herald" on the 2nd Instant:-
>AUSTRALIA'S GREATEST PUBLICITY MAN and ORGANISER.
>THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED and ADVERTISED BUSINESS MAN
>in the Australian and American Newspapers.
>WANTS A BIGGER JOB AT A BIGGER SALARY.
>-"Emsee."
>[End excerpt]
>
>Garson
>
>On Sat, Jul 19, 2025 at 6:39 PM Shapiro, Fred
><00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>>
>>  emcee, n. (OED 1933), v. (OED 1937)
>>
>>  1930 Pittsburgh Press 10 Aug. World of Today section 6/3 (Newspapers.com)
>>
>>  The need at the present time ... is a department store male employe to handle the master of ceremonies assignment.  Davis wants a man from one of the stores for the emsee [sic] job and wants him quick! ... Any talented young woman, however, who feels that she can emsee [sic] is also asked to write.
>>
>>  Fred Shapiro
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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