![]() ![]() Is one of the wider streets in New York that is like an uninterrupted wind-tunnelīetween the East and Hudson Rivers. Used while building the Flatiron Building on 23rd Street in N.Y.C. 23-skidoo came from an expression that construction workers Have been made as to the word’s derivation it is probably a form of a dialectĦ. Tony Thorne, Pantheon Books, originated in the American Civil War and "…suggestions Skedaddle, according to "The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang" by Was simply a fanciful variant of skedaddle." (Feldman) The expression never appeared in his work but the simpleĢ3 did appear in a comic published on February 16, 1902. Thomas Aloysius Dorgan (TAD), a cartoonist and sportswriter, coined the Trucker CB code, meaning Away with you!'" (Dalzell quoting Partridge.)ĥ. "23 was possibly derived from a telegraphic shorthand code, not unlike "Tom Lewis originated the fad word '23' in 'Little Johnny Jones' inġ904, and 'Skidoo' was tacked on later. Resorts and fairs were emblazoned with either 23 or Skidoo, and the two soon met."ģ. " …in the first few years of the century, memorabilia sold at vacation Time to leave while the getting is good."- Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?Ģ. Theater community in the early twentieth century, often used to mean, 'It’s ![]() 'Twenty-three' quickly became a popular catchphrase among the The only recognition or dignityĪfforded Carton as he meets his fate is the old woman emotionlessly saying 'twenty-three'Īs he is beheaded. Theatrical adaptation, 'The Only Way,' an old woman sits at the foot of the guillotine,Ĭalmly counting heads as they are lopped off. 23 of a multitude executed by the guillotine. In Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities, Sidney Carton is Here are a few theories as to how '23' and 'skidoo originated' - there are others:ġ. 'Skiddoo' is another slang term, also originating around the same time and place, meaning much the same as 'skedaddle', that is, 'leave', 'depart', 'get out of here'. But I do know that 'twenty-three' is now a part of the slangy boy’s vocabulary." I don’t vouch for either of these explanations. The plan was tried and it failed, but 'twenty-three' came into local use as meaning 'Get away, quick!' and in time it spread to other cities. They were to separate the officer from the prisoner and then, when one of them shouted 'Twenty-three,' the crowd was to scatter in all directions, and the prisoner was to run back through the corridor, on the chance that the officer would be too confused to follow the right man. Several of his friends planned to close in upon the police officer prisoner as they were passing in front of a business block which had a wide corridor running through to another block. Another student of slang said the expression originated in New Orleans at the time an attempt was made to rescue a Mexican embezzler who had been arrested there and was to be taken back to his own country. It was a signal to run, a synonym for the Bowery boy’s 'On your way!'. But his theory was that 'twenty-three' means that there was no longer any reason for waiting at the post. I don’t know that twenty-three is the limit. In his opinion it came from the English race tracks, twenty-three being the limit on the number of horses allowed to start in one race. He said it was a signal to clear out, run, get away. I happened to meet a man who tries to 'keep up' on slang and I asked the meaning of 'Twenty-three!'. I could see that the beggar didn’t understand it any better than I did. The man looked at the beggar in cold disgust and said: 'Aw, twenty-three!'. A few days after that I saw a street beggar approach a well-dressed man, who might have been a bookmaker or horseman, and try for the unusual 'touch'. The small boy scowled and talked under his breath, but he moved away. When the big boy saw the small one he went at him in a threatening manner and said: 'Here! Here! Twenty-three! Twenty-three!'. A small boy with several papers under his arm had edged up until he was trespassing on the territory of the other. I just heard it from a big newsboy who had a 'stand' on a corner. "By the way, I have come upon a new piece of slang within the past two months and it has puzzled me. This story appeared in an October 1899 edition of The Washington Post: In 1899, George Ade explained the slang term "twenty-three". In fact it hasn't travelled much outside the USA since then. It seems that '23' originated as a fad term in the USA in the early 20th century. There are numerous competing theories which is a sure sign of doubt. It isn't certain how '23-skidoo' (or skiddoo) originated. No one will know what you are talking about. US tourists, don't try using this in the UK. What's the origin of the phrase 'Twenty three skidoo'? Numbers What's the meaning of the phrase 'Twenty three skidoo'?. ![]()
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