[Ads-l] Antedating of "Loco Weed"

[Jonathan Lighter]

When I was a cowboy, at ages 5 - 6, I and my cowpuncher friends all
knew  that "loco weed" was a poisonous plant that drove cattle crazy.
My guess is that Gene Autry told us.


JL

On Mon, Nov 2, 2026 at 11:38 PM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Is this a reference to marijuana, or some other weed, one that possibly affects cattle that eat it?
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapiro, Fred <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, November 1, 2026 4:30 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Antedating of "Loco Weed"
>
> Loco Weed (OED 1879)
>
> 1873 Sacramento Daily Union 28 May 2/6 (Genealogy Bank)
>
> The army worm ... have thus far confined their ravages principally to a poisonous plant known as "loco weed."
>
> NOTE:  This was reprinted from the Kern County Courier, 24 May 1873.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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