End of ADS-L Digest - 27 Jul 1997 to 28 Jul 1997 ************************************************ Subject: ADS-L Digest - 28 Jul 1997 to 29 Jul 1997 There are 16 messages totalling 686 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Ice cream cone; Dutch "highway"; "America" Papers; Stamp Acts 2. An anniversary 3. (Garcia) Marquez (3) 4. Garcia (Marquez) (4) 5. canadian choon for tune 6. SME t + glide (was canadian choon for tune) (2) 7. New Books: English Dialectology 8. Question on a word 9. "Privilege" as a Verb 10. Presentism Again ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 07:10:51 -0400 From: "Barry A. Popik" Subject: Ice cream cone; Dutch "highway"; "America" Papers; Stamp Acts ICE CREAM CONE Paul Dickson's THE GREAT AMERICAN ICE CREAM BOOK (1972) gives a delicious treatment of "ice cream cone" and will be tough to lick. On pages 66-73, he presents "The Somewhat Confusing Saga of the Ice Cream Cone." Ernest A. Hamwi came from Damascus, Syria to St. Louis in 1903. In the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (the same fair where the hot dog bun was NOT invented), he obtained a concession to sell zalabia, a crisp, waferlike Persian pastry baked on a flat waffle iron and served with sugar and other sweets. An ice cream concession was close by his stand. When the ice cream stand ran out of dishes, Hamwi rolled his wafer and put a scoop of ice cream in it. The ice cream cone was born. The very year (1954) that the 50th anniversary of the ice cream cone was celebrated, the New York Times ran an obituary of Italo Marchiony on October 19, 1954, stating that Marchiony had been making cones and selling them as early as 1896. He applied for a patent on his cone mold, which was issued on December 13, 1904. Two other contenders emerged. In 1965, the New York Times ran an obituary of David Avayou, an Atlantic City, New Jersey ice cream shop operator who claimed that HE invented the ice cream cone at the 1904 World's Fair. He got the idea from paper cones in France. Abe Doumar, who hawked Holy Land souvenirs at the Fair, claimed that HE gave the idea to the waffle man there. His son published this version in THE SAGA OF THE ICE CREAM CONE. There are others. In August 1947, a Chicago Sun story on Max Goldberg of the cone giant Illinois Baking Company stated that Goldberg had first sold cones in 1903. Nineteenth century France supposedly had its paper and metal cones, and Dusseldorf also put in a claim to edible containers. Can I beat ("lick" if you will) Dickson on the ice cream cone? This has to be investigated further, but it is from Variety obituaries for 8 December 1931. We now have a circus theory: Chas. E. Menchez, Creator Of Ice Cream Cones, Dead Charles E. Menchez, 72, died from a heart attack at his home in Akron, O., Dec. 3. He was the creator of the ice cream cone, a circus acrobat, park operator and picture theatre exhibitor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ DUTCH "HIGHWAY" This is part of a continuing experience of tour guides and etymology. Last year, in Ireland, it was "lynch" and "donnybrook." I was touring through the Netherlands (check out www.nbceurope.com, where the Netherlands was recently voted #1 for travelers), and the tour guide pointed out the canals and the high ground next to the water. "That's where the word 'high way' comes from." Hm. "High way" is a nice word to get right. OED has a computer "highway" from 1949. OED has "king's high way" from 859. One citation states that "the king's peace" and "the king's highway" are related terms. If so, then "highway" has to do with royalty, and the Netherlands' canal theory is all washed up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- "AMERICA" PAPERS I posted some parts of my "America" papers here in May. First, I debunked the theory that America was named after John Cabot's paymaster Richard Ameryck on Cabot's historic 1497 voyage. (There are no contemporary English citations that would support the claim.) I also posted "Native American" on the 500th anniversary of Amerigo Vespucci's claimed (but disputed) first voyage. During a recent trip to Belgium, I looked in the telephone book. Brussels would have a nice mix of Dutch and Germanic names. I found 15 "Emmerechts," 18 "Amerijckx," and 30 "Ameryckx." A New York City phone book hardly has these names; in the Brussels phone book, they're clearly popular names. More later..... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------- STAMP ACTS There definitely should be a postage stamp devoted to American dialects. Perhaps put "O. K." on it. Elvis, Marilyn, James Dean, and even Bugs Bunny are stamps. Mickey Mouse is undoubtedly next. There have been American plants, animals, athletes, entertainers, et al. If the American Dialect Society would draft a formal stamp proposal to the U. S. Postal Service, it would be taken very seriously. Something to think about for the annual meeting. Maybe we'll get SEVERAL stamps for several dialects? Which brings me, of course, to my FOIL request on the Stars & Stripes Forever stamp, which was answered today. As I first posted on Presidents Day, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a Civil War phrase. John Philip Sousa III lived in my apartment building. Stamps are considered seriously 2 1/2 years in advance, so in 1994 I suggested a 1997 100-year commemorative S&SF stamp. The Postal Service never told me anything about the stamp, so I filed a FOIL request. The stamp is due to come out August 21. Here goes: July 25, 1997 Dear Mr. Popik, This letter responds to your Freedom of Information Act request for information concerning the issuance of a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the song "Stars and Strips Forever," (actually, it's STRIPES, and it's a march--ed.) written by John Philip Sousa. We apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry. (Hey, no problem, it's only a FOIL requirement; the Chicago Historical Society broke their eight weeks promise by one month--ed.) You are one of many proponents who have supported the issuance of a stamp honoring John Philip Sousa and the song, "The Stars and Strips Forever." (STRIPES! STRIPES!!!!--ed.) Our records indicate that we received support for the issuance of this subject in 1993 and your letter is dated July 21, 1994. (I wanted to know how my letter was considered. If being first is important, then 1776, 1876, 1976, 2076, 2176, 2276, 2376, check it out.--ed.) In our response to you dated August 8, 1994, we indicated that the subject was before the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee and remains under consideration. (I received a form letter--ed.) In addition, the U. S. Postal Service gives no recognition to any proponent for the submission of a stamp subject. The U. S. Postal Service does not maintain any records or reports that relate to the stamp honoring "The Stars and Strips Forever." (I make loads of spelling errors in these posts--which are made at crazy hours under difficult family circumstances--but misspelling this THREE TIMES?!--ed.) The only information maintained that relates to the issuance of that stamp is the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee minutes. Committee minutes contain the opinions of the members which the Postmaster General many or may not accept. (Grammar is obviously not a strong point--ed.) Consequently, we consider this information protected by the deliberative process privilege recognized under subsection (b)(5) of the Freedom of Information Act and the Postal Service's paralleling regulation at Administrative Support Manual 352.42 (d). That privilege does not require release of documents that reflect the agency decision-making process. (Obviously, important national security interests are at stake here--ed.) You have the right to appeal in writing to the General Counsel, U. S. Postal Service, Washington, DC 20260-1100, within 30 days of the date of this letter. The letter of appeal should include statements concerning this perceived denial, the reasons why it is believed to be erroneous, and the relief sought, along with copies of your original request (Sure, I keep these things for years--ed.), this letter, and any other related correspondence. We hope we have been able to clarify this issue for you. Your interest in our stamp program is very much appreciated. Sincerely, James C. Tolbert, Jr. (signed) Manager Stamp Development Wow. All I wanted was someone to tell me personally when the stamp would be issued, and maybe to invite me to its premiere, like they did for Warner Brothers and Bugs Bunny. A simple "thank you" and a 32-cent stamp--an expense of less than one dollar--would have made me real happy!