[Ads-l] Antedating of "Gofer"

[mr_peter_morris@outlook.com]

Here's a slightly different sense in 1944.
"He's a gopher. Go fer one [woman]  then go fer another"

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Shipyard_Diary_of_a_Woman_Welder/9vQ9AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=gopher+%22go+fer%22&dq=gopher+%22go+fer%22&printsec=frontcover


1944 date seems to be confirmed by copyright 
noticehttps://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Shipyard_Diary_of_a_Woman_Welder/9vQ9AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=copyright&dq=gopher%20%22go%20fer%22&printsec=frontcover


------ Original Message ------
From "ADSGarson O'Toole" 
<00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 07/01/2026 15:16:17
Subject Re: Antedating of "Gofer"

>Interesting topic, Fred.
>The spelling "gophers" was used in 1956 with the desired sense. The
>newspaper article explained that "gophers" "go fer" things. Note, the
>OED entry already has a 1968 citation for "gophers" with the desired
>sense.
>
>The OED also has a different sense for "gopher / gopher ball" which is
>relevant to baseball with citations beginning in 1932.
>
>Date: January 20, 1956
>Newspaper: The Farmville Herald
>Newspaper Location: Farmville, Virginia
>Article: As Soda Jerks or Gophers, Housewives Provide Valuable Help To Hospital
>Quote Page 6, Column 3 and 4
>Database: Newspapers.com
>
>https://www.newspapers.com/image/890009440/?terms=%22go-fer%22&match=1
>
>[Begin excerpt]
>More members of the Unit act as "gophers." As can be imagined they "go
>fer" things. They deliver flowers and (illegible), run errands carry
>wanted items to patients, direct visitors, visit out-of-town patients
>who have no relatives nearby, empty flower bowls, buy articles
>downtown for patients, and for the sick person wanting that important
>between-hours-cup-of-coffee, they will perform that service too.
>[End excerpt]
>
>Garson
>
>On Wed, Jan 7, 2026 at 8:42 AM Shapiro, Fred
><00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>>
>>  gofer (OED 1967)
>>
>>  1962 New Orleans States-Item 16 Feb. 12/1 (GenealogyBank)
>>
>>  Janet Leigh was fascinated here when she heard a slang word which was new to her ... The word is "gofer" and refers to the people around Show Business "who gofer coffee, gofer cigarets or gofer sandwiches."  Many agents — and even a few stars' husbands — are "gofers."
>>
>>  Fred Shapiro
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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