[Ads-l] antedating "sheela-na-gig"

[Jonathan Lighter]

OED: 1844

ca1805 John Buttrey "Fife Tune Ms." No. 22 [
https://buttreymilitarysocialtunes1800.wordpress.com/melodies/]:
A Shiling a Gig  A Retreat.

Buttrey was a fifer in the British army and a terrible speller. Conceivably
this is "A Shilling a Gig," but it isn't clear to me what that would mean.

JL

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

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