[Ads-l] Antedating of "Wild West"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

John Baker shared an 1823 citation for "wild west" on this list many years ago.

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2010-March/097193.html

On Sun, Aug 9, 2026 at 4:48 PM Jonathan Lighter
<00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> Interesting that the "wild west" was then in Louisiana.
>
> But like other nearly imperceptible narrowings of general terms (e.g.,
> "the Lost Cause"), I'd have to put this in brackets.  The poem's "wild
> west" is largely uncleared woods and under-explored wilderness with a
> few alligators. The latter-day "Wild West" is largely "wild Indians,"
> cowboys, stampedes, cattle rustlers, and plenty of gunplay.
>
> JL
>
> On Sun, Aug 9, 2026 at 1:37 PM Shapiro, Fred
> <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Wild West (OED 1833)
> >
> > 1824 The Pennsylvanian (Harrisburg) 10 July 3/2 (Newspapers.com)
> >
> > Far in the wild west our clarion sounded,
> > The groans of the foe to our charges replied;
> > The plains of New Orleans Old England astounded.
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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