[Ads-l] "seven toed pete" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jonathan Lighter]

A little earlier:

1916 _Everett [Wash.] Daily Herald_ (March 24) 12 [Newspapers.com]:
Spending money on joy rides, "Seven-Toed Pete" parties and the like.

As for Larry's "Three-Toed Pete":

1938 _Stillwater [Okla.] Daily Press_ (Jan. 5, 1938) 1: They better hold on
to their shirts when the collegians start dealing wild jacks, three-card
monte, high-low roll 'em, and three-toed pete.


Newspapers.com reveals the existence of various real three-toed and
seven-toed Petes from 1883 onward.
JL

On Sun, Apr 2, 2023 at 4:07 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 1917 _Weekly Reflex_ (Kaysville, Ut.) (March 8) 8: Mr. and Mrs. J. B.
> Cooley entertained a small party of friends at cards last Saturday evening.
> The game was Seven-Toed Pete and T.A. Martin was the coach for the
> occasion. The game is liable to prove a popular one.
>
> JL
>
> On Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 11:05 AM Mullins, Bill CIV (US) <
> william.d.mullins18.civ at mail.mil> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill CIV (US)" <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
>> Subject:      Re: "seven toed pete" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
>>
>> Whoops!
>>
>> Date is 23 Jun 1918.
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
>> Behalf =
>> Of Laurence Horn
>> > Sent: Monday, July 20, 2015 1:36 PM
>> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> > Subject: Re: "seven toed pete" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>> >=20
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------=
>> ------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>> > Subject:      Re: "seven toed pete" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>> >
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
>> ------
>> >=20
>> > > On Jul 20, 2015, at 2:10 PM, Mullins, Bill CIV (US) =3D
>> > <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL> wrote:
>> > >=3D20
>> > > CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
>> > >=3D20
>> > > Jonathan Lighter on the list in 2013:
>> > >=3D20
>> > >> Means "seven-card stud." Not in OED. I heard it in the late '50s and
>> > >>brought it to the attention of the List in 2005.
>> > >>=3D20
>> > >> 1919 _Evening Herald_ (Klamath Falls, Ore.) (Aug. 13) 4: Nifty with =
>> =3D
>> > the
>> > >> cards, especially Seven-Toed Pete.
>> > >>=3D20
>> > >> 1922 _Bellingham Herald_ (June 28) 9: Black-jack, faro, roulette,
>> > >>seven-toed Pete, draw, African golf and crackola.
>> > >=3D20
>> >=20
>> > What's the date on this?
>> > > Portland OR _Oregon Daily Journal_ p 21 col 2 "The hands were drawn in
>> > > what is known as the "Seven-toed-Pete" game =3D
>> > and first P. P. held a heart royal flush and second P. P held a diamond
>> =
>> =3D royal flush."
>> > > CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
>> > >=3D20
>> > I've been playing poker since the early 70s (not the 50s) and have
>> never =
>> =3D encountered "Seven-toed Pete" for 7-card stud (or any other
>> > game), but =3D have come across "Three-toed Pete" for a dealer's choice
>> v=
>> ariant (I =3D think it's the one in which three of a kind is the best hand
>> > and a =3D straight beats a flush, based on relative probabilities).
>> One =
>> card is =3D dealt down and two up, with rounds of betting in between, so
>> it
>> > is =3D formally a stud rather than draw game, and it can be played
>> straig=
>> ht =3D high or high-low; in the latter case, the best low hand is 3-2-A.
>> >=20
>> > LH
>> >=20
>> > ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> 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."
>


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

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