[Ads-l] Antedating of "Snow" (= Cocaine)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Nice work, Fred. Here is an instance of "snow" (cocaine) from a couple
of years earlier.

Date: June 21, 1905
Newspaper: The New Castle Weekly Herald
Newspaper Location: New Castle, Pennsylvania
Article: Awful Visions Look Like Him
Quote Page 3, Column 6
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-castle-weekly-herald-snow/201529161/

[Begin excerpt]
Earle was sent to jail for 30 days. When he was searched just after
arrest a tiny phial of "snow" as cocaine crystals are known to the
police, was found in one of his pockets.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Jul 12, 2026 at 1:58 PM Shapiro, Fred
<00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> snow (OED, 5.d., 1914; Green 1911)
>
> 1908 Syracuse Herald 3 May 7/2 (Newspapers.com)
>
> Cocaine, the coarse white powder which has been the curse of the colored population of this country ... is said to be on sale illegally in several places in this city. ... In at least one saloon, near the West Shore station, there is on sale at the bar, a mixture containing a quantity of cocaine, which is called "snow."
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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