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I sent the following to Bob Thompson about his explanation to another
reader of the slang term "dusie/doozy":
From Thursday...
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No, actually that slang term originated with the Dusenberg automobile
and was originally spelled "Dusie." But you're right that "doozie" is now
the more common spelling.
Intriguing notion, and possible, although none of the large (to
very large and usually quite authoritative) dictionaries I consulted would
admit anything more than 20th C slang, origin uncertain (douse, daisy, ...).
Actually, none even took up "Dusenberg", and they seem to prefer "doozy -
doozies" as far as that goes.
I would more easily believe attribution to the Italian actress Eleonora
Duse (doo'zay), 1859-1924, who first rose to fame in Italy and then toured
all the great cities with great acclaim around the turn of the last century.
She died in Pittsburgh, after a brief return to the stage in 1921. Given
the correct pronunciation of her name, and the allusion of doozy to something
exceptional, admirable, I find this a better match, and also explains the
alternate Dusie spelling.
Bob replied at length:
My dictionaries provide about the same information yours do, although
my Collins British dictionary gives the pronunciation of Eleonora Duse's
name as doozie. Most give the origin of doosie (in various spellings) as
source unknown, but dating to circa 1930. But I'll stick by my derivation,
because it is based on contemporaneous sources. I read mysteries by the ton,
and years ago I read one form the 30's in which one of the characters in
the presence of a Dusenberg says something like, "Now that *is* a real Dusie."
I'd never thought about the derivation of the term until I read that. In
the sycnronicity that seems to crop up in my reading, not more than a week
or two later, I read another 30's mystery (by a different author) that also
made reference to a Dusie in similar circumstances. And the dictionaries
that suggest derivation from a daisy seem to be missing the point. There's
nothing particularly extraordinary about a daisy, or about Miss Duse come
to that. But a Dusenberg was the height of extraordinary. If you've ever
seen a Dusenberg, you'll understand what I mean. People who drove Rolls-Royces
back then did so because they couldn't afford a Dusenberg. The things were
huge, powerful, and refined. They were and are the most extraordinary automobiles
ever built. And, as it happens, they were (and still are) commonly referred
to as "Dusies."
Further delving...
I found an attribution of doozy linked to Edwin Abbott 1838-1926
(Shakespearean scholar). A further variant "doozer" found. Also "doozandazzy",
early 1900s (pre-1920?), for "a (remarkable) gadget".
The "Duesenberg" series of cars, extra "e" there, was built between
1928 and 1937, which puts the car later than the Abbott attribution. I don't
doubt that "doozy" was an apt description for the car, but the word was used
before the first one was built.
Some car pictures on this site:
www.duesenbergmotors.com who
offer to hand-built replicas. (If one had some money...)
Also, perhaps you do not give Eleanora Duse her due
credit...
"19th-century Italian actress famous for her Shakespearean performances.
Along with Sarah Bernhardt and Helena Modjeska, she was regarded as one of
the three great classical actresses of the day."
Interestingly, I find this evening that most of my research is confirmed
from another source, including the earlier date for "doozy": see
www.greenapple.com/~words1/back-r.html,
where it is clearly noted that "doozy appeared in American slang several
years before the Duesenberg car even existed", 1903 is suggested. It is
however also remarked that the subsequent link to the extraordinary car probably
ensured the word's survival into modern times. This I would agree
with.
Turns out that an ultimate origin from "daisy" is not so unlikely
either, its use for "excellent" or "superior" going back to the 1700s, and
that the connection to Eleanora Duse may have been a natural connection of
an already current slang word to an outstanding actress. Especially likely
if it was applied by a Shakespearean scholar, i.e. Mr Abbott.
Fun...
More from Bob...
Okay, I give up. Actually, there's a word for this--similar or identical
sounding words that describe the same thing but arose from completely different
sources--but I can't recall right now what that word is.
As far as the spelling of Dusenberg, I suspect that the name was originally
spelled Düsenberg, with the umlaut. Umlauts have always given Americans
a problem, originally I suspect because American typesetters had no umlauts
in their type cases. Even now, I had to go to "Insert Symbol" to find one.
So, some of us drop the umlaut and use a following "e" to indicate the
diacritical, while others simply use the unaccented vowel by itself. A quick
search of the Internet shows all three usages, including examples of each
from seemingly authoritative sources, e.g. collectors' clubs. Although I've
seen these cars at shows, I don't recall how (or if) the name appeared on
the car itself.
Maybe, though not necessarily. The non-umlaut spelling is a common
one in Germany as well. I found this short history,
except given below, and it is clear that both the family and the company
spelled Duesenberg with the e, although others would from time to time forget
it.
European keyboards at least have "deadkeys" with various umlaut
and accent signs, so such characters can be made on the fly. Windows supports
it, if only the keys are implemented.
Interesting to note that more than 75% of all Duesenberg cars still
exist today and 55% are still operable. Some references put the founding
of the company as early as 1917, but although the brothers built racing cars
even then, the company probably did not formally exist yet.
Learned a fair amount today. Thanks for the diversion from my
translations.
As far as Eleanora Duse, I must confess that her name was not familiar
to me before this thread started. I suspect if you did a poll, you'd find
close to 100% of those polled would at least recognize Sarah Bernhardt's
name, perhaps 5% would recognize Helena Modjeska (as I did), and very few
would recognize Eleanora Duse. Perhaps that's more a measure of their ability
to promote themselves than of their talent.
The history I quoted ran as follows:
... These successes were the rewards of brothers Fred Duesenberg
(1876-1932) and August Duesenberg (1879-1955), two native talents and mechanical
masterminds who taught themselves the principles of transportation engineering.
Born in Germany and raised among the large Duesenberg family that had emigrated
to Iowa, the boys found favor in building and racing bicycles. Their own
bicycle shop evolved into a career of constructing and piloting racing
cars.
After a period of government service, building World War I aviation
and marine engines in New Jersey, the brothers came to Indianapolis, where
the Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company was established in 1920. Production
soon began on Duesenberg's first passenger car, the Model A, a costly prestige
car. The expensive Model A, though it pioneered the use of straight
eight-cylinder engines and four-wheel hydraulic brakes, had disappointing
sales and was discontinued in 1926.
In the fall of that year, transportation industrialist E.L. Cord,
president of the Auburn Automobile Company, purchased Duesenberg, with a
vision of making luxury cars on a larger program. In October, 1926, E.L.
Cord told the Indianapolis Star, "The purchase of the Duesenberg factory
is the culmination of my plans to be able to offer the world an automobile
of undisputed rank. In fact, the finest thing on four wheels. Duesenberg
cars will be strictly custom built, the owners selecting their own body styles,
their own body makers and selecting their own colors. The price probably
will be $18,000, no matter what model, from racer to limousine. We will give
the buyer 120 mile-an-hour speed if desired. Naturally, the production of
this type of automobile, which carries awarranty of fifteen years, will be
limited and we are now taking orders..."
E.L. Cord commissioned Fred Duesenberg, newly installed as vice- president
of engineering, to develop the ultimate motorcar that would outclass all
other American makes. The result was the unsurpassed Model J, introduced
at the New York Automobile Salon for the 1929 model year. Its brutish Lycoming
straight eight engine, developing 265 horsepower (the next largest car on
the market was the Pierce-Arrow, with a horsepower of 125),.attained speeds
exceeding 115 miles per hour. By 1932, supercharged engines of 320 horsepower
were part of the line.
... and so on...
Closing comments by Bob...
$18,000! And this at a time when the average worker was probably grossing
less than $1,000/year, if he was lucky enough to have a job. And since an
original Dusie now sells in the million dollar range, they've held their
value pretty well. Actually, 75% exiting and 55% operable doesn't sound very
high to me, given the original cost and exclusivity of the product. I'd guess
that Rolls-Royce motorcars of that vintage have considerably higher rates.
Of course, they also have a company that still exists to support them. My
great-uncle owned several Cords. I wish even one had stayed in the family
for me to inherit.
As usual, your persistence amazes me. Actually, Barbara (ever the
librarian) wanted to research the whole doozie/Dusenberg issue when I mentioned
it to her yesterday morning. I finally convinced her that we all probably
had better things to be doing. But you're right. It is fascinating.
It was a pleasant diversion at odd moments between our exchanges.
...
I got interested mainly because almost the first thing I happened
to run across was a short bio on Eleanora Duse, and this was sufficently
different from the usual etymology that I was roused to dig a bit further.
As our exchange continued, I kept on looking things up when taking pauses
from writing. Good research practice as it were.
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