[Ads-l] Antedating of "Peckerwood"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Uncertain:

1858 _Sketches and Recollection of Lynchburg_ (Richmond: C. H. Wynne) 198
[ref. to 1830s]:  Many persons in Lynchburg doubtless remember an
unfortunate man, whose name was JAMES MOSELEY, but more commonly recognized
by the name of "Molly Peckerwood." But, few are aware that James Moseley
was of respectable parentage, and gently reared and nurtured under the
quiet doctrine of Quakerism.

JL

On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 1:37 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Gee, I forgot all about those. Oh, well...
>
> JL
>
> On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> All from Newspapers.com except 1876 Neb.
>>
>> In general, 'scoundrel; rascal; contemptible person.'
>>
>> 1866 _Union and American_ (Nashville, Tenn.) (Aug. 10) 4: She valued
>> Mister GRIPES about as she would any other peckerwood or pole cat.
>>
>> 1876 _Columbus [Neb.] Era_ (Feb. 5) [2] [GenealogyBank]: That Pecker-wood
>> that presides over the Omaha _Republican_ is chirping and caroling about
>> secession and southern rebels.   [Conceivably a proper name, but note
>> hyphen.]
>>
>> 1884 _Oxford [Ala.] News_ (July 3) [2]  : They will live in the history
>> of their country and state when the little pilfering peckerwood who ha
>> shelped to plunder the people in the interest of his own town will be
>> forgotten.
>>
>> 'poor rustic.'
>>
>> 1884 _Evening Republican_ (Columbia, Ind.)  The Possumglory "peckerwood"
>> band would furnish music and the[y] could have a rouser.
>>
>> 1884 _Jonesboro [Ill.] Gazette_ (Nov. 15)  3 : They are becoming tired of
>> the "peckerwood" [prohibition] evaders that  are taking up the time of the
>> courts, at the cost of the tax payers.
>>
>> 1885_Jonesboro [Ill.] Gazette_ (May 2) 3 ]: The "peckerwoods" and
>> "deadfalls" are becoming more bold in violation of the [prohibition' law.
>>
>> 'white person.'
>>
>> 1910 _Arkansas Gazette_ (Little Rock) (July 31) II 5: A white man convict
>> is a "peckerwood"
>>
>> Nickname:
>>
>> 1873 _Daily Oregonian_ (Portland, Ore) (Aug. 30) 3:  Two or three others
>> of his companions bore the historic name of Adams, and they had not red
>> heads; and when the question was asked, "which Adams?" the answer would be,
>> "why, Peckerwood Adams, of course."
>>
>> 1881 _Daily Memphis Avalanche_ (Sept. 23) [4]: The case of Fountain
>> Fitzgerald, alias "Peckerwood."
>>
>> 1910 _Daily Courier-Gazette_ (McKinney, Tex.) (Feb. 10) [8] [ref. to
>> Civil War] :Tom Johnson. Familiarly known as "Peckerwood Johnson" or
>> "Red-Headed Tom."
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 25, 2025 at 9:16 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Peckerwood (OED, 2., 1928)
>>>
>>> 1923 Kansas City Call 14 Dec. 10 (ProQuest)
>>>
>>> Mentioning the Negro in an annual message is something unusual and it
>>> goes without saying that the peckerwoods of the Anglo-Saxon sout are all
>>> het up over it.
>>>
>>> Fred Shapiro
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> truth."
>>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>


-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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