[Ads-l] Antedating of "Tap Dancing, " Antedating of "Tap Dancer"

[mr_peter_morris@outlook.com]

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Green_Book_Magazine/zIBpU1E06F8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22tap-dancing%22&dq=%22tap-dancing%22&printsec=frontcover

  << ... the ability to do "tap" dancing , which is the type of dancing 
to
which the familiar " buck and wing " belongs in which the parts of
the feet touch the floor successively , giving a sound of tapping .  >>

The Green Book Magazine, possibly 1913.

The magazine ceased publication in 1921, so it seems likely to be an 
antedating.


------ Original Message ------
From "Shapiro, Fred" <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 13/09/2025 20:42:15
Subject Antedating of "Tap Dancing," Antedating of "Tap Dancer"

>Early citations for "tap dance," "tap dancing," and "tap dancer" often are unclear as to whether the dances were similar to what we think of as "tap," and whether the dancers were African American.  However, the following antedatings of OED are clearly about what we think of as tap dancing and about African American dancers:
>
>tap dancing (OED 1928)  1923 New York Age 2 June 6/1 (Newspapers.com)  When it comes to neat, clever, snappy tap-dancing, this Bill Robinson, a colored fellow, is certainly the king of them all.
>
>tap dancer (OED 1927)  1924 Chicago Defender 8 Nov. I-8 (Newspapers.com)  Dancing for over 20 minutes ... was the record hung up by Davis and Tressie, the Colored pair of steppers ... this male member of the team is the best of all tap dancers.
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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