I'm confused. If you're not persuaded that Bevo didn't derive his name from the UT-A&M score in 1915—the popular (but wrong) 13-0 theory—all I can say is "facts are stubborn things," since the score wasn't branded until 1917 and UT's mascot was named in 1916.
On the other hand, if you're not persuaded that Bevo derived his name from a play on the word "beeve" because "Bevo" was a "soft drink" (or non-alcoholic "beer") at the time, it's popularity in 1916 wasn't as widespread as you claim. Anheuser-Busch introduced the drink, which it called "Bevo"—a play on the Bohemian word "pivo" (beer)—in 1916 and it wasn't well known in Austin at the time when the mascot was named. The drink didn't receive national popularity until the 1920s.
What was popular in 1916 was a comic strip by Gus Mager that ran throughout the first couple of decade of the 1900s, which might be the source of the "o" at the end of Bevo's name. The strip featured monkeys as characters with the letter "o" attached to their names—for example, Braggo the Monk and Sherlocko the Monk. It became popular to give friends nicknames and add an "o" to the end. Some claim this is how the Marx Brothers got their names: Groucho (because he was moody), Harpo (because he played the harp), and Chico (because he raised chicks as a boy).
So, the naming of Bevo was most likely a combination of a play on the word "beeve" and the addition of the letter "o." I'll add this to the piece, since I shouldn't have overlooked it before publication.
I’m not persuaded. Plus, Bevo is not a play on words; it was a popular soft drink brand at the time.
I'm confused. If you're not persuaded that Bevo didn't derive his name from the UT-A&M score in 1915—the popular (but wrong) 13-0 theory—all I can say is "facts are stubborn things," since the score wasn't branded until 1917 and UT's mascot was named in 1916.
On the other hand, if you're not persuaded that Bevo derived his name from a play on the word "beeve" because "Bevo" was a "soft drink" (or non-alcoholic "beer") at the time, it's popularity in 1916 wasn't as widespread as you claim. Anheuser-Busch introduced the drink, which it called "Bevo"—a play on the Bohemian word "pivo" (beer)—in 1916 and it wasn't well known in Austin at the time when the mascot was named. The drink didn't receive national popularity until the 1920s.
What was popular in 1916 was a comic strip by Gus Mager that ran throughout the first couple of decade of the 1900s, which might be the source of the "o" at the end of Bevo's name. The strip featured monkeys as characters with the letter "o" attached to their names—for example, Braggo the Monk and Sherlocko the Monk. It became popular to give friends nicknames and add an "o" to the end. Some claim this is how the Marx Brothers got their names: Groucho (because he was moody), Harpo (because he played the harp), and Chico (because he raised chicks as a boy).
So, the naming of Bevo was most likely a combination of a play on the word "beeve" and the addition of the letter "o." I'll add this to the piece, since I shouldn't have overlooked it before publication.