Kentuck

A familiar designation of Kentucky, which in early days was spelled Kentucke.

1784.  In this year John Filson published his ‘Discovery of Kentucke.’ It was illustrated with “a new and accurate map of Kentucke and the country adjoining,” and printed by James Adams at Wilmington, Del.

1787.  

1788.  New settlers now find better lands nearer home, nearer to a good market, between the Delaware and Susquehanna, than are to be found in the remote wilderness of Kentucke, where the farmer sells his wheat for a shilling a bushel, and pays two dollars for a pair of shoes.—Maryland Journal, Nov. 11.

1788.  A gentleman in high office in Kentucke writes to a friend at New York.—Id., Feb. 12.

1796.  I guess as how you be coming from Kentuc.—Isaac Weld, ‘Travels through North America,’ p. 135 (1799).

1813.  In a few years more, those of us who are alive will have to move off to Kaintuck or the Massissippi, where corn can be had for sixpence a bushel, and pork for a penny a pound.—John Randolph to Dr. Brockenbrough, June 2: H. A. Garland, ‘Life,’ ii. 15 (1851). (Italics in the original.)

1823.  I entered the city, the far-famed metropolis of old Kentuck.—W. Faux, ‘Memorable Days in America,’ p. 190. (Italics in the original.)

1823.  “My land” (says he) “is good, but not like that of old Kentuck.”—Id., p. 204.

1826.  A “Kentuck” is [considered] the best man at a pole, and a Frenchman at the oar.—T. Flint, ‘Recollections,’ p. 15.

1826.  After all [said he] there is nothing like old Kentuck.—Id., p. 214.

1828.  He is not now disposed to wait for Old Kentuck.—Richmond Enquirer, Feb. 14, p. 2/2.

1834.  I asked him if he was not pleased with New York. ‘O yes;’ said he, ‘it’s a real Kentuck of a place, a man can do here what he likes; they don’t look at the cut of a feller’s coat, but at the cut of his jib.’—Caruthers, ‘The Kentuckian in New-York,’ i. 190.

1850.  I have heard the anecdote from Mr. Clay, that a preacher in Kentucky, when speaking of the beauties of Paradise,—when he desired to make his audience believe it was a place of bliss,—said it was a Kentucky of a place.—Mr. Stanly of North Carolina, House of Repr., March 6: Cong. Globe, p. 339, App.

1850.  [Heaven, said a preacher, after exhausting his powers of description,] “Heaven is a real Kentuck sort of a place!”—Knick. Mag., xxxv. 370 (April).

^*_*^* The same anecdote is told in Timothy Flint’s ‘Recollections,’ 1826, p. 64.