[Ads-l] Antedating of "Hophead"

[Ben Zimmer]

Peter Reitan shared another "hophead" cite from the Aug. 4, 1895 San
Francisco Call in 2017, and Fred noted that the term appeared in the paper
the day before.

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2017-February/146327.html

Here's the Aug. 3, 1895 article:

---
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-call-bulletin-hop-head/191399540/
San Francisco Call, Aug. 3, 1895, p. 14, col. 7
Chief Crowley on Opium. [...] "Hop Heads" on the Decrease and But Little or
No "Dope" Sold Illegally.
---

--bgz


On Sun, Feb 15, 2026 at 9:12 PM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> hophead (OED 1911)
>
> 1895 San Francisco Call 4 Aug. 24/1 (Newspapers.com)
>
> Notwithstanding a keen public sentiment in this City against the abuse of
> the opium traffic ... there are about 3000 "fiends" or "hop heads" in San
> Francisco.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>

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