Date:  Wed, 14 Jan 1998 16:23:19 -0500
From:  Gregory {Greg} Downing <downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IS2.NYU.EDU>
Subject: Re: skell yet again

At 04:06 PM 1/14/98 -0500, you (Pat Courts <courts[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AIT.FREDONIA.EDU>) wrote:
>["Skel(l)"] seems to have originated, and is most commonly used by the NYPD. In
>Albany we usually would refer to such persons as "mutts"....
>
>So now, what about "mutts"?
>

FWIW, OED2's first cite for "mutt" is 1901. OED says it's originally US
slang meaning stupid or worthless person (short for "mutton-head"). It says
the common application of "mutt" to animals is derivative (first cite, 1904).

Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nyu.edu or downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]is2.nyu.edu