[Ads-l] Antedating of "Geek" (Carnival Performer)

[Bill Mullins]

>   geek (OED, 2., 1919)
>
>   1913 Billboard 25 Jan. 51/3 (ProQuest)
>
>   Want for my PIT SHOW  Freaks, Midgets, Glass Blower, Talkers that can make openings, good Geek.
>
>   Fred Shapiro

Some guy named Shapiro found and posted a 1912 cite previously on the list:

https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-September/144428.html




1911 07 29 Appleton Evening Crescent 29 Jul 2/3

He never took some ponies an' some show girls an' some geeks
An' mauled 'em into something that'd run for forty weeks.


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