I found a phrase come out of my own mouth, er, uh, fingers the other day while on a forum buying something. Another user and I had agreed on a price of some tires via public posting and I wrote "Sold American!". After posting I looked at the phrase and had no idea really what its meaning was. I had heard it said elsewhere and was now using it.
What is the meaning of this phrase? Where did it come from?
ben2.0 said:
I wrote “Sold American!”.
I have no idea why, but I think it used to mean something like: "American Tobacco Company has won the bid on this lot of tobacco."
Frances said:
I have no idea why, but I think it used to mean something like: “American Tobacco Company has won the bid on this lot of tobacco.”
It's been reported that way (see here), but other sources (a recent history; scroll up for more background) report that it was used in Lucky Strike radio commercials starting in 1937, and performed in those ads by auctioneer L.A. Riggs.
Sold American was part of an ad for a "premium" lot of tobacco auctioned off to make the best (Lucky) cancer sticks one could buy.