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Annie Oakley

TheOldMole Jul 23 2008 12:16 PM

A slang term from the past that I'm finding nobody remembers any more. What was an Annie Oakley, and why was it called that?

themetfairy Jul 23 2008 12:23 PM

My first thought was that it would be a female sure shot, but Wikipedia lists it as carny slang for free circus tickets. [url] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Oakley_(disambiguation)[/url] (Go to the hyperlink and then click the ensuing hyperlink for disambiguation) Britannica had this additional information - ]origin ( in Oakley, Annie ) ... a playing card being thrown into the air, she riddled it before it touched the ground (thus giving rise to the custom of referring to punched complimentary tickets as “Annie Oakleys”). [url=http://baseball-lingo.blogspot.com/2008/07/annie-oakle.html]The Baseball Lingo blog[/url] also says that the term applies to a base on balls, i.e., a free pass.

TheOldMole Jul 23 2008 12:39 PM

Boo...you cheated. But yes -- that's it. A comp ticket would have a hole punched in it, to distinguish it, for the person counting gate receipts, with tickets actually paid for. So -- anyone got a couple of Annie Oakleys for the Mets-Phils series?

themetfairy Jul 23 2008 12:41 PM

I'm sorry - I thought you were looking for the derivation of the term.

TheOldMole Jul 23 2008 12:47 PM

I should have been clearer. You're still a living doll.

themetfairy Jul 23 2008 12:54 PM

Awww <blushing>