‘Trick or Treat’ – 1922 Edmonton Bulletin article claims to be the first printed reference to the popular Halloween phrase

Popik said America had no trick or treating until their first Michigan date in 1928: “People always thought it was Americanism.”

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The phrase may have been out of order, but the first quote referring to the now popular Halloween phrase “trick or treating” may have been in Edmonton of all places.

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Barry Popik, an etymologist from New York , recently discovered that the Edmonton Bulletin first printed the phrase “treats or tricks” in an article on November 2, 1922.

“Nobody was 1922,” Popik said, in an interview with Postmedia. “Edmonton, until you find other information, you are number one, you are first and you get the credit.”

The quotes read: “’Treats or tricks,’ the ultimatum from the young Canada generally associated with Hallowe’en was on Tuesday night apparently in the same ranking as the proclamations broadcast to the Turks; no one paid special attention to that. “

The word spread quickly when “treat or trick” was printed in the Red Deer Advocate in 1924 and “treat or trick” circulated in a Regina newspaper in 1926, according to Popik website .

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Popik said America had no trick or treating until their first date in Michigan in 1928.

“People always thought it was Americanism,” Popik said.

An Edmonton Bulletin article dated November 2, 1922 is the first printed recording of the popular Halloween ultimatum.  Photo Supplied / Newspapers.com
An Edmonton Bulletin article dated November 2, 1922 is the first printed recording of the popular Halloween ultimatum. Photo Supplied / Newspapers.com jpg
An Edmonton Bulletin article dated November 2, 1922 is the first printed recording of the popular Halloween ultimatum.  Photo Supplied / Newspapers.com
An Edmonton Bulletin article dated November 2, 1922 is the first printed recording of the popular Halloween ultimatum. Photo Supplied / Newspapers.com

Although the phrase was first printed in 1922, Popik said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was used verbally the year before, making the Halloween ultimatum 100 years old.

However, the first documented use of the verb phrase “trick or treat” was in Blackie, Alta. in 1927, according to a newspaper article – making Alberta home to the earliest known date and verbal use of the phrase.

Popik said that “trick or treating” is one of the newest and most famous terms for Halloween, and that “Halloween apples” was first cited in 1912 and first printed in the Globe, now known as the Globe and Mail. , in 1898.

COVID-19 has given Popik another area of ​​work, as he has been keeping track of the jokes, terms, and even memes created during the pandemic.

“Once it started, I decided to record them all. The words, the phrases and a lot of jokes, ”he said. “I have over 1,100 terms, approaching 1,200 terms and I try to add a few more every day.”

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You have recorded several spellings that refer to the word vaccination. He said he has seen people spell it as vax, vaxx or vacks and has also kept track of common phrases used on protest posters.

Popik said that social media has made work easier on his COVID-19 terms.

“I use Twitter a lot and it would have been nice if we had Twitter in the 1920s. It would have been a lot easier to trick or treating,” he laughed.

Popik’s work on Halloween and COVID-19 can be found at barrypopik.com.

[email protected]

twitter.com/TaniguchiKellen



Reference-edmontonjournal.com

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