[Ads-l] Antedating of "Gofer"

[Jonathan Lighter]

And here's the current sense in 1945:

1945 _Vancouver Sun_ (May 19) 16 [Newspapers.com]: Nearly a score of
girls will join...Boeings, under classification of riveters, welders,
electric department assistants, or just plain "gophers," so called
because they'll "go fer this and go fer that" when the foreman states
his needs.

JL

On Sun, Jan 11, 2026 at 11:18 PM mr_peter_morris at outlook.com
<mr_peter_morris at outlook.com> wrote:
>
> 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
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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