MDMD: Buzz-Men

[jbor]

Thanks. That fits pretty well I think. I wonder if Pynchon's use of all
these terms and expressions which aren't documented until the early 19th c.
is really anachronism or if he is factoring in a period of common usage
which takes place before a new coinage comes to be accepted into the
lexicon?

best 



on 27/11/01 3:27 AM, Tyrone Mullet at tyronemullet at hotmail.com wrote:

> The OED cites Buzz-Men as pickpockets.  But if memory serves, the date was
> around 1830.
> 
> Steve Maas
> 
> Jbor wrote:
>> 187.1 "Buzz-men"?