[Dixielandjazz] "Jeep"

[Don Kirkman]

On Fri, 15 Nov 2002 20:49:15 EST, Normseldes@aol.com wrote:

> The word jeep was an acronism given to General Purpose 1/4 ton 4 x 4 vehicle 
>in the Army which was tested at Camp Holabird in Baltimore,  Maryland in 1941 
>So. GP became JEEP. The designation in a comic strip came later.       .

The comic strip came earlier (1936), but so did the name, apparently:

"The first coinage of the word "JEEP", as applied to a motor vehicle,
occurred during WWI.  According to Major E.P. Hogan, who wrote a history
of the development of the Jeep for the Army's Quartermaster review in
1941.  The word "Jeep", he wrote. "is an old Army greasemonkey term that
dates back to WWI and was used by shop mechanics in referring to any new
motor vehicle received for a test."  Jeep was still used in Army motor
pools well into the 1930's as general purpose or "GP" for short.  Not
until 1936, was it introduced to the world by a Popeye comic strip
character, "Eugene the Jeep".  The only words Eugene could say were
"Jeep,Jeep", and "GP" then became "Jeep". Then the "Willys Quarter-Ton
Jeepwas 1st used by the U.S. military in WWII. When the WWII Jeep was
issued during wartime, the term "Jeep" was here to stay."
http://members.tripod.com/HoboJeepers/jeepo.htm

"Without a Song"

"Many people attribute the name "jeep" to a character in the Popeye
comic strip - Eugene the Jeep. Eugene had the ability to slip in and out
of rooms unnoticed and could do almost anything. The word jeep, though,
was used as early as 1914 by Army mechanics charged with testing new
vehicles. Joe Frazer, president of Willys-overland from 1939 till '44
says he coined the word by slurring the initials G.P. - standing for
'General Purpose.'"
http://www.jeepsrus.com/NewHist.htm
-- 
Don
donkirk@covad.net