[Ads-l] journalistic "30"

[Bill Mullins]

Barry Popik recently emailed (offline) "I did some research into the telegraph and journalistic uses of "30" ("Thirty"), and have it cited to 1963."  The email did not include his research or his cites, and I don't find "thirty" in his website.  The date 1963 is almost certainly a typo, since the OED has it back to 1895.

1876 Cincinnati Enquirer 7 Aug 4/6 [geneologybank]

The Nashville American gives as an epitaph for the Chicago Evening Telegraph simply the number "30".  In telegraph parlance 30 means "good night."



1882 Denver Republican 17 Jan 4/3 [genealogybank]

"Thirty" means an end; the closing of a report.



1883 Buffalo Post 27 Jul 2/4

The despatches which come in before '30' is received -- '30' means end -- will average about 35 large sheets of matter, closely written.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/269262937/?match=1&terms=%22the%20end%22

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