[Ads-l] Antedating of "Hustle" (Engage in Prostitution)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here are three citations which use the word "hustle" when discussing
work performed by prostitutes. However, there is still some ambiguity.
Here are pertinent senses of "hustle" from the OED.

[Begin excerpt from OED]
hustle verb
2.e. To sell or serve (goods, etc.), esp. in an aggressive, pushing
manner. North American slang.
4. intransitive. To move hastily, to hurry, to bustle; to work busily,
push one's way actively, ‘make a push’.
5. intransitive. To engage in prostitution. slang.
[End excerpt from OED]

The first citation is a New York state court record with a date of
June 2, 1902. A witness used the phrase "hustle in some business" when
discussing prostitutes.

Year: 1903
Title: Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Sub-Title: Case On Appeal
Section: Hearing Resumed Before Commissioner Partridge
Date: June 2, 1902
Start Page 555, Quote Page 591
Printer: Dispatch Print, New York
https://books.google.com/books?id=0ChMqv7EcvYC&q=+hustle#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
The Witness: This was at the time he came into the rear room. He said,
"Why don't some of you girls get up and go out and hustle in some
business," and he also told one of them that she had a slit on her as
big as a door, and other conversation of that kind occurred, while we
were present.
[End excerpt]

The second citation in 1902 contained the phrase "make her hustle
harder" when discussing a prostitute. It is ambiguous because it might
mean "make her work harder".

Date: September 1902
Periodical: Ohio Bulletin of Charities and Correction
Volume 8, Number 3
Article: Some Evils of Our Police Courts
Author: C. S. Carr M.D.
Start Page 34, Quote Page 37
Publisher: Ohio Board of State Charities, Columbus, Ohio
https://books.google.com/books?id=TNw5AQAAMAAJ&q=%22her+hustle%22#v=snippet&q=%22her%20hustle%22&f=false

[Begin excerpt]
If the prostitute is doing wrong, she ought to be removed from
society, where she can not continue her wrong doing, until she has
learned to do better. Fineing her has no effect whatever, except to
make her hustle harder than before.
[End excerpt]

I think this 1906 citation is solid.

Date: January 1906
Periodical: The Medical Standard
Volume 29, Number 1
Section: Around the Table
Author: Dr. A. L. Blunt, Chicago, Illinois
Quote Page 38
https://books.google.com/books?id=ViKgAAAAMAAJ&q=%22to+hustle%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
Many prostitutes are obliged to hustle to make a living when they are diseased.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 6:55 PM Shapiro, Fred
<00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> hustle, v (OED, 5., 1930)
>
> 1926 Afro-American (Baltimore) 5 June 20 (ProQuest)
>
> A common prostitute of the opposite race {white] who is hustling among colored men ... is freed.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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