The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #98937 Message #1966535
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
13-Feb-07 - 05:20 PM
Thread Name: Folklore: History of Dear John Letter
Subject: RE: Folklore: History of Dear John Letter
Dates to 1942. Campbell and Campbell, "War Paint" p. 206.
1947, Norman Mailer, "The Naked and the Dead," p. 143 Leave a girl friend behind? Get a Dear John?
1948, Taylor, "Language of WW2," p. 63. Name given by soldiers to letters from wives or sweethearts "calling it all off."
J. E. Lighter, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, vol. 1, p. 571.