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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
"Shoot him on the spoot" -- typo or slang?
The following eBay link is posted for reference only, and should not be taken as a solicitation (not my auction):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2227745922
The token being auctioned is a patriotic token from 1863, made during the American Civil War. The legend on the back reads (in reference to the American flag):
"If anybody attempts to tear it down, shoot him on the spoot"
This has long been interpreted by the numismatic community as a diecutter error, and that the correct word should have been "spot". However, it occurs to me that "spoot" is a fairly funny sounding word in English, and could easily have been slang of the day. It definitely sounds to me that getting shot on the spoot would be particularly painful.
Does anyone know if "spoot" was common slang around the mid 19th century? If so, then the legend is a clever play on words, and not, in fact, an error.
Bob
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2227745922
The token being auctioned is a patriotic token from 1863, made during the American Civil War. The legend on the back reads (in reference to the American flag):
"If anybody attempts to tear it down, shoot him on the spoot"
This has long been interpreted by the numismatic community as a diecutter error, and that the correct word should have been "spot". However, it occurs to me that "spoot" is a fairly funny sounding word in English, and could easily have been slang of the day. It definitely sounds to me that getting shot on the spoot would be particularly painful.
Does anyone know if "spoot" was common slang around the mid 19th century? If so, then the legend is a clever play on words, and not, in fact, an error.
Bob
Top answer
[nq:1]The following eBay link is posted for reference only, and should not be taken as a solicitation (not my auction): ... mid 19th century? [/nq] Not sure what you are referring to as a legend.
- [nq:1]The following eBay link is posted for reference only, and should not be taken as a solicitation (not my auction): ...
- mid 19th century?
- [/nq] Not sure what you are referring to as a legend.
- Your suggest "slang of the day" being a clever play on words and being impressed upon a patriotic token?
- I can see that kind of humorous play on words being part of the overall anti-war sympathies of the 1960s and '70s, but I don't think it would have gone over in the US Civil War era (think what that means a war between and among the constituent states of our union, brother fighting brother.
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3 Answers
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[nq:1]The following eBay link is posted for reference only, and should not be taken as a solicitation (not my auction): ... mid 19th century? If so, then the legend is a clever play on words, and not, in fact, an error.[/nq]
Not sure what you are referring to as a legend. Your suggest "slang of the day" being a clever play on words and being impressed upon a patriotic token?
I can see that
Not sure what you are referring to as a legend. Your suggest "slang of the day" being a clever play on words and being impressed upon a patriotic token?
I can see that
00
[nq:2]The following eBay link is posted for reference only, and ... clever play on words, and not, in fact, an error.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not sure what you are referring to as a legend. Your suggest "slang of the day" being a clever play ... a slang reference to any part of the body or the flag. I think I would accept the "diecutter error".[/nq]
Or it could be a new poetic invention- a kind of exte
[nq:1]Not sure what you are referring to as a legend. Your suggest "slang of the day" being a clever play ... a slang reference to any part of the body or the flag. I think I would accept the "diecutter error".[/nq]
Or it could be a new poetic invention- a kind of exte
00
[nq:1]The following eBay link is posted for reference only, and should not be taken as a solicitation (not my auction): ... mid 19th century? If so, then the legend is a clever play on words, and not, in fact, an error.[/nq]
I checked five dictionaries of historical Americanisms and regionalisms no "spoot."
Spoot
Originating on the Angry Beavers television show
mainly, this is
I checked five dictionaries of historical Americanisms and regionalisms no "spoot."
Spoot
Originating on the Angry Beavers television show
mainly, this is
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