Date:  Sun, 11 Jan 1998 10:50:29 -0500
From:  Fred Shapiro <fred.shapiro[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALE.EDU>
Subject: Re: High Ball; Moonshiner; Cracker Jack; Chickened Out; --NOT!; Coon;
     et al.

On Sun, 11 Jan 1998, Bapopik wrote:

>   Paul Dickson has the New York Herald, 8 July 1865, for "the national
> game." That's very early, although someone traced "the national pastime" to
> 1857!
>   This is from Harper's Weekly, 15 October 1859, pg. 660(? Copy is cut
> off), col. 3:

Note that the DA has an 1856 citation for _national game_. The OED traces
it, in reference to sports other than baseball, to 1828.

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 Fred R. Shapiro               Coeditor (with Jane Garry)
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