MR. WHISKERS/THE FUZZ



"Fuzz" for police appears in 1929 (RHHDAS); perhaps it's related to "Mr.

Whiskers." RHHDAS has the latter from 1933 and states that it is suggested

by the image of "Uncle Sam."

A New York Times slang article of 27 March 1932 has Mr. Whiskers; Troops;

Whacks; Ta-ta; Short; Gunsel; Nature-ray; Sneaker; To Y someone; and To go

out in the country. Why does RHHDAS have this 1932 article for "gunsel" but

not "Mr. Whiskers"--where 1932 would be the first citation? The article

begins:



GANGS COIN NEW SLANG

DESPITE "MR. WHISKERS"

Bearded Gentleman "Pat Whacks"

on Capone, but the "Troops"

Are Still "Nature-Ray"

CHICAGO, March 26.--The fertile wits of gangland may not be earning much

money these days what with Alphonse Capone in jail, but they go right on

making language.

One of the badlands that gave the nation such familiar phrases as "taken

for a ride" and "on the spot" flows a continuous stream of new words and new

usages for old words.

Changing conditions with new demands on vocabularies, new symbolisms

grasped by the gangster mind, or a mere need for terminological novelty have

brought forth a number of so far unrecorded phrases in recent months.

The principal linguistic departures are here summed up with their

meanings:

Mr. Whiskers--A general term for the Federal Government, especially its

law-enforcement officers, as opposed to city police.

(...)



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