From mr_peter_morris at OUTLOOK.COM  Wed Apr  1 07:29:01 2026
From: mr_peter_morris at OUTLOOK.COM (mr_peter_morris@outlook.com)
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2026 07:29:01 +0000
Subject: [Ads-l] "Basketball" (The Ball) Not in OED
In-Reply-To: <CH3PR08MB9023D1A8608B95271B3E33DFF453A@CH3PR08MB9023.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>
References: <CH3PR08MB9023D1A8608B95271B3E33DFF453A@CH3PR08MB9023.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <AM6PR02MB509563FDE33C1880E466EBE0AD50A@AM6PR02MB5095.eurprd02.prod.outlook.com>


https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_Regents/3uc9AAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22+basket+balls%22&pg=RA13-PA90&printsec=frontcover

University of Wisconsin spent $14 to buy basket balls

1877

==========================
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_President_of_Bates_College/wx5JAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22+basket+balls%22&pg=RA28-PA38&printsec=frontcover


"basket balls , broadsword blades , etc. , purchased "

1878


------ Original Message ------
From "Shapiro, Fred" <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 31/03/2026 13:47:02
Subject "Basketball" (The Ball) Not in OED

>Surprisingly, the OED does not include a subsense for the word "basketball" meaning the ball itself.  The entries for "baseball" and "football" include subsenses for those balls.
>
>Here is the earliest citation I have found in some very cursory research:
>
>1894 Kalamazoo Gazette 29 May 8/1 (Newspapers.com)  This evening a contest, consisting of throwing a basket ball at the basket will be held at the Y. M. C. A. gymnasium.  Each contestant will be allowed five throws.
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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

From 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU  Wed Apr  1 10:37:58 2026
From: 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Shapiro, Fred)
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:37:58 +0000
Subject: [Ads-l] "Basketball" (The Ball) Not in OED
In-Reply-To: <AM6PR02MB509563FDE33C1880E466EBE0AD50A@AM6PR02MB5095.eurprd02.prod.outlook.com>
References: <CH3PR08MB9023D1A8608B95271B3E33DFF453A@CH3PR08MB9023.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>
 <AM6PR02MB509563FDE33C1880E466EBE0AD50A@AM6PR02MB5095.eurprd02.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <CH3PR08MB9023156D257E74544247B6B5F450A@CH3PR08MB9023.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>

Thanks, Peter.  But these two documents are actually dated much later than 1877.  The game of basketball was invented in 1891 or 1892 by James Naismith.  Naismith stated about the ball: "for the first two years, it was an ordinary Association football, and it was not until 1894 that there was any such thing as a basketball."
The earliest use of the term "basket ball" was probably in some catalog of the Spalding company in early 1894.
Fred Shapiro

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of mr_peter_morris at outlook.com <mr_peter_morris at OUTLOOK.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, April 1, 2026 3:29 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: "Basketball" (The Ball) Not in OED


https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Fbooks%2Fedition%2FReport_of_the_Regents%2F3uc9AAAAYAAJ%3Fhl%3Den%26gbpv%3D1%26dq%3D%2522%2Bbasket%2Bballs%2522%26pg%3DRA13-PA90%26printsec%3Dfrontcover&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C285b6bddcc1643aadae608de8fc0675c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639106253715369729%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=U4ZlJt2yeCfKNJsj7Lj3uDl%2FrOIPn%2BfbAMCqpX6GkAE%3D&reserved=0<https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_Regents/3uc9AAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22+basket+balls%22&pg=RA13-PA90&printsec=frontcover>

University of Wisconsin spent $14 to buy basket balls

1877

==========================
https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Fbooks%2Fedition%2FReport_of_the_President_of_Bates_College%2Fwx5JAQAAMAAJ%3Fhl%3Den%26gbpv%3D1%26dq%3D%2522%2Bbasket%2Bballs%2522%26pg%3DRA28-PA38%26printsec%3Dfrontcover&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C285b6bddcc1643aadae608de8fc0675c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639106253715397559%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=aD1CFQ7ST3%2B7V5Y9IIvap7Dd6ifqoGkBSiynBo%2FR6fE%3D&reserved=0<https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_President_of_Bates_College/wx5JAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22+basket+balls%22&pg=RA28-PA38&printsec=frontcover>


"basket balls , broadsword blades , etc. , purchased "

1878


------ Original Message ------
>From "Shapiro, Fred" <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 31/03/2026 13:47:02
Subject "Basketball" (The Ball) Not in OED

>Surprisingly, the OED does not include a subsense for the word "basketball" meaning the ball itself.  The entries for "baseball" and "football" include subsenses for those balls.
>
>Here is the earliest citation I have found in some very cursory research:
>
>1894 Kalamazoo Gazette 29 May 8/1 (Newspapers.com)  This evening a contest, consisting of throwing a basket ball at the basket will be held at the Y. M. C. A. gymnasium.  Each contestant will be allowed five throws.
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C285b6bddcc1643aadae608de8fc0675c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639106253715412718%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=32PCYJ%2Fuj1gvNuJpWHuFjJkB%2BmwwblG30aM9MiYIfiA%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>

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From 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU  Wed Apr  1 13:40:03 2026
From: 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Jonathan Lighter)
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2026 09:40:03 -0400
Subject: [Ads-l] early "jazz"
Message-ID: <CAFANsHjpe1Yo=ZVE0URaDbSqBDqjARMFXjzU2Mqv6Rm6-Ddk=w@mail.gmail.com>

As in "all that jazz"?

1913 _Milwaukee Journal_ (June 15) 4 [Newspapers.com]:  Take 'Frisco, the
great slang factory of this broad land. Out there they ask you "Are you
jerry to the old jazz?"' meaning thereby, "Are you hep to the --'" whatever
you are supposed to be hep to. 'Jazz' stands for whatever you want it to.

JL

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

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

From 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU  Wed Apr  1 13:50:37 2026
From: 00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Jonathan Lighter)
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2026 09:50:37 -0400
Subject: [Ads-l] dirty dozen
Message-ID: <CAFANsHjHXunT5N=GyTvcixZnNwf99BewN39iLeqYfgDt_iQvLA@mail.gmail.com>

A group of a dozen, usu. of disreputable or despicable people. Also joc.

1865 _Sydney Morning Herald_ (May 23) 3 [Newspapers.com]: A dirty dozen of
you porpoises.

1870 _Daily Rocky Mountain Gazette_ (Helena, Mon.)  (July 9) 1
[Newspapers.com]:  It was the sublime impudence of that "Dirty Dozen" which
culminated in the introduction of...the Cullom Bill.

Etc., etc.


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

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

From 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU  Wed Apr  1 20:30:21 2026
From: 00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU (Shapiro, Fred)
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2026 20:30:21 +0000
Subject: [Ads-l] Antedating of "Song and Dance Man"
Message-ID: <CH3PR08MB902314365F57B2FD75CD0799F450A@CH3PR08MB9023.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>

song and dance man (OED 1866)

1863 Detroit Free Press 14 July 1/3 (Newspapers.com)

Charley Petrie, the great negro delineator, banjoist, and song and dance man.

Fred Shapiro

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