[Ads-l] Antedating of "Cake Walker"

[Shapiro, Fred]

cake walker (OED 1878)

1877 Sun (N>Y>) 30 Dec. 1 / 2 (Newspapers.com)

Mr. Miles Butler, a champion cake walker, with Mrs. Ray on his arm, was greeted with loud applause.  He is a big burly negro with a sizable foot and a complacen smile indicatint a fair average of self esteem.

Fred Shapiro

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