[Ads-l] antedating of U.S. "leatherneck"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Here it is unequivocally an army soldier.  I suspect the word was
originally applied indifferently to both soldiers and marines, but, at
least in the U.S., was eventually narrowed to marines alone.

1872 _S. F. Chronicle_ (Aug. 22) 3 [Newspapers.com]: When the soldiers came
up the ambushed Indians fired. What did my leather necks do but cut for
camp like the devil.

JL

On Thu, Apr 26, 2018 at 9:39 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks, Fred!  In fact, there's even a confirmation of the etymology. And
> these are indeed U.S., not Royal, Marines.
>
> JL
>
> On Thu, Apr 26, 2018 at 7:02 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> wrote:
>
>> Newspapers.com has an earlier occurrence of "leatherneck" meaning
>> "marine" in New York Sun, Jan. 18, 1871, page 3.
>>
>>
>> Fred Shapiro
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
>> Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2018 10:21 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: antedating of U.S. "leatherneck"
>>
>> Way early:
>>
>> 1891 _Manhattan [Kans.] Mercury_  (Oct. 7) 3 [Newspapers.com]: UNITED
>> STATES MARINE. Jolly Jack Has Contempt for the Sea Soldier. ...
>> Next to Marryat, Dickens appeals most to the sympathies of the
>> "leather-necks," as the shell-backs call them. ..."They kin do 'most
>> anything with a gun, 'cept shoot with it," [said one sailor].
>>
>>
>>
>> JL
>>
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> truth."
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> "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."

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