the case of the married moonlighter

[sergebroom]

A couple of evenings ago, we popped in one of the DVDs of Perry Mason and watched 1958's episode The Case of the Married Moonlighter. In it, a man who prefers teaching to making lots of money being an engineer is in such dire straits that the only way he can support his family is to have a night-time job in a greasy spoon. Of course, this being Perry Mason, no good deed goes unpunished and next thing you know, he's being arrested for murder by Lt. Tragg. I mention this because, when the subject of the night-time job comes up, Tragg makes a crack about teacher types calling it 'moonlighting'. I had not realized that the expression wa so recent nor where it had apparently originated.

By the way, my favorite moment of the episode is when the suspect's wife asks Perry for help, which he most willingly gives her because she is a friend and because...

"You are the first woman who ever proposed to me."

Della's expression is priceless.

I expect that Perry slept alone on the couch that night.

Comments

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

The OED citation:

3. colloq. (orig. U.S.). The practice of doing paid work in addition to one's regular employment.
1957 Reporter (N.Y.) 8 Aug. 11/3 He takes two or three hours off and then..departs for a second job... The practice is known as ‘moonlighting’. 1961 Economist 16 Dec. 1145/2 Several attempts have been made to ban moonlighting on the ground that it robs the unemployed of jobs. 1992 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 26 July 9/3 They can take long coffee breaks and go on shopping trips during office hours; they have plenty of time for moonlighting.

That earliest citation is indeed younger than either of us.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Actually, I was about 2 years old (see icon) when the practice began. Oh, and yes, Perry and Della were having an affair.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I was not quite one.