[Ads-l] Antedating of "Licorice Stick" (= Clarinet)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Interesting topic, Fred. Here is a match for "black licorice stick" in
1931. There is some ambiguity because the clarinet instrument is not
explicitly mentioned. However, the context suggested that a musical
band leader was playing tunes with the "black licorice stick".

Date: May 19, 1931
Periodical: The Susquehanna
Publisher: Student newspaper of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove,
Pennsylvania
Article: To the Prom Committee
Quote Page 2, Column 1
Database: Internet Archive
https://archive.org/details/Susquehanna-Vol_38_Nos_1-27_April_1931-April_1932/mode/2up?q=%22licorice+stick%22

[Begin excerpt]
We shall not soon forget the music. The rumor that "Joe Vennucci" was
not sending his original band proved to be another falsification, for
"Joe'' was there with his "black licorice stick" and those slow, hot
tunes of his were just the thing to make one want to dance--some more.
[End excerpt]

Green's Dictionary of Slang has a licorice stick (clarinet) citation
dated July 31, 1934.
https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/edey66y

JL's Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang has a
November 1935 citation.

Garson

On Sun, Jan 18, 2026 at 8:21 PM Shapiro, Fred
<00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> licorice stick (OED, b., 1935)
>
> 1934 Daily News (New York) 20 Apr. 60/4 (ProQuest)
>
> Licorice stick, or Polish soldier -- clarinet.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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