Popik said the United States didn't have trick or treat until its first citation in Michigan in 1928: "People always thought it was an Americanism"
Author of the article: Kellen Taniguchi
Publishing date: Oct 30, 2021 •
The historic Magrath Mansion welcomes trick-or-treaters for Halloween in the Highlands neighbourhood of Edmonton, on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020.
PHOTO BY IAN KUCERAK /Postmedia
The phrase may have been out of order but the earliest citation referring to the now popular Halloween phrase “trick or treat” may have been in Edmonton, of all places.
Barry Popik, a New York etymologist , recently discovered the Edmonton Bulletin first printed the phrase “treat up or tricks” in an article on Nov. 2, 1922.
“Nobody had 1922,” Popik said, in an interview with Postmedia. “Edmonton, until I find other information, you’re number one, you’re first and you get the credit.”
The quotations reads, ” ‘Treat up or tricks,’ the ultimatum on the part of young Canada which is usually associated with Hallowe’en was on Tuesday evening apparently in the same classification as those proclamations broadcasted to the Turks — no one took particular notice of it.”
Word of the phrase spread quickly as “treat or trick” was printed in the Red Deer Advocate in 1924 and “treats or tricks” circulated in a Regina newspaper in 1926, according to Popik’s website .
Popik said the United States didn’t have trick or treat until its first citation in Michigan in 1928.
“People always thought it was an Americanism,” said Popik.
The phrase may have been out of order but the earliest citation referring to the now popular Halloween phrase “trick or treat” may have been in Edmonton, of all places.
Barry Popik, a New York etymologist , recently discovered the Edmonton Bulletin first printed the phrase “treat up or tricks” in an article on Nov. 2, 1922.
“Nobody had 1922,” Popik said, in an interview with Postmedia. “Edmonton, until I find other information, you’re number one, you’re first and you get the credit.”
The quotations reads, ” ‘Treat up or tricks,’ the ultimatum on the part of young Canada which is usually associated with Hallowe’en was on Tuesday evening apparently in the same classification as those proclamations broadcasted to the Turks — no one took particular notice of it.”
Word of the phrase spread quickly as “treat or trick” was printed in the Red Deer Advocate in 1924 and “treats or tricks” circulated in a Regina newspaper in 1926, according to Popik’s website .
Popik said the United States didn’t have trick or treat until its first citation in Michigan in 1928.
“People always thought it was an Americanism,” said Popik.
An article from the Edmonton Bulletin dated Nov. 2, 1922 is the first printed recording of the popular Halloween ultimatum. Supplied photo/Newspapers.com jpg
An article from the Edmonton Bulletin dated Nov. 2, 1922 is the first printed recording of the popular Halloween ultimatum. Supplied photo/Newspapers.com
Although the phrase was first printed in 1922, Popik said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was verbally used the year before — making the Halloween ultimatum 100 years old.
However, the first documented use of the verbal phrase “trick or treat” was in Blackie, Alta. in 1927, according to a newspaper article — making Alberta home to the first known citation and verbal use of the phrase.
Popik said “trick or treat” is one of the newer famous Halloween terms with “Halloween apples” first being cited in 1912 and “shell out” 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 jokes, terms and even memes created during the pandemic.
“Once it started, I decided to record all of them. The words, the phrases and a lot of the jokes,” he said. “I have over 1,100 terms, approaching 1,200 terms and I try to add a few more each day.”
He’s recorded multiple spellings referring to the word vaccination. He said he’s seen people spell it as vax, vaxx or vacks and he has also kept track of common phrases used on signs at protests.
Popik said social media has made it easier to work 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 much easier for trick or treat,” he said with a laugh.
Popik’s work on Halloween and COVID-19 can be found at barrypopik.com.
ktaniguchi@postmedia.com
twitter.com/TaniguchiKellen
Although the phrase was first printed in 1922, Popik said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was verbally used the year before — making the Halloween ultimatum 100 years old.
However, the first documented use of the verbal phrase “trick or treat” was in Blackie, Alta. in 1927, according to a newspaper article — making Alberta home to the first known citation and verbal use of the phrase.
Popik said “trick or treat” is one of the newer famous Halloween terms with “Halloween apples” first being cited in 1912 and “shell out” 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 jokes, terms and even memes created during the pandemic.
“Once it started, I decided to record all of them. The words, the phrases and a lot of the jokes,” he said. “I have over 1,100 terms, approaching 1,200 terms and I try to add a few more each day.”
He’s recorded multiple spellings referring to the word vaccination. He said he’s seen people spell it as vax, vaxx or vacks and he has also kept track of common phrases used on signs at protests.
Popik said social media has made it easier to work 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 much easier for trick or treat,” he said with a laugh.
Popik’s work on Halloween and COVID-19 can be found at barrypopik.com.
ktaniguchi@postmedia.com
twitter.com/TaniguchiKellen
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