[Ads-l] Earliest Use of "Cool" as a General Term of Approval

[Ben Zimmer]

The 1939 cite, which Fred first shared back in May, looks great as an
antedating of "cool cat," but then the question is whether "cool" in that
context falls under OED sense 8b (general term of approval) or the earlier
8a (stylish, classy), or the even earlier 2c (composed, assured) or 2d
(audacious, impudent). In this case it could be a mixture of 2c/2d, as the
nickname "Ice Water" suggests someone who is assured/audacious.

It would be interesting to look at how "cool" was used in various nicknames
in the '20s and '30s. The great baseball player James Thomas Bell was
called "Cool (Papa)" perhaps as early as 1922, his first season as a Negro
League pitcher. That was because he was so composed and assured (and
perhaps audacious) on the mound. One might even say he had ice water in his
veins.

--bgz

On Tue, Nov 4, 2025 at 8:19 PM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> I have studied Ben Zimmer's postings about the word "cool" as a general
> term of approval.  He appears to regard a December 1938 citation as
> probably the earliest known occurrence of this sense, but he points out
> that the article in question, from the Atlanta Daily World, is not legible
> in the key passage.  Is the following then the earliest known example ?
>
> 1939 California Eagle 20 Apr. 8-A/4 (Newspapers.com)  Wonder does Jean
> Morris give all the girls the same line of "Jive?" ... of Helen Collins
> having a new boy friend: they say his names [sic] is "Ice Water," a cool
> cat, I suppose.
>
>

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