The opposite of SMALL POTATO: a person or thing of consequence.

1

1846.  One of them thinks he’s got a scrub [horse] that’s “some pumpkins!”—W. T. Porter, ed., ‘A Quarter Race in Kentucky,’ etc., p. 118.

2

1848.  General Cass is some pumpkins, and will do the needful in the office line, if he is elected.—N.Y. Herald, June 21 (Bartlett).

3

1851.  We went on until the third or fourth set, and I thought I was “some pumpkins” at dancing.—M. L. Byrn, ‘An Arkansaw Doctor,’ pp. 96–7.

4

a. 1852.  Man has a head upon his shoulders that is “some BIG punkins” compared with his brother orang-outang.—Dow, Jun., ‘Patent Sermons,’ iii. 27.

5

1852.  She gave a big ball, and we, being punkins [note, A Slang expression of young New-York for people of value and consequence], were of course among the invited.—C. A. Bristed, ‘The Upper Ten Thousand,’ p. 216 (N.Y.).

6

1853.  “Got a smart chunk of a pony thar.” “Yes, sir, he’s some pumkins sure; offered ten cows and calves for him; he’s death on a quarter” [i.e., a “quarter race.”]—S. A. Hammett (‘Philip Paxton’), ‘A Stray Yankee in Texas,’ p. 44.

7

1853.  About that time came into those parts a stranger who was immediately allowed to be ‘some pumpkins,’ inasmuch as he was a southerner, rich, young, and handsome.—Knick. Mag., xlii. 55 (July).

8

1854.  He seems to imagine a judge “some pumpkins,” and to be very tenacious of titles.—Weekly Oregonian, July 22.

9

1854.  We are now satisfied that Oregon is some pumpkins in the way of hills, dales, [and] mountains.—Id., Aug. 19.

10

1854.  It will be seen that the Cow Creek mines are “some pumpkins.”—Id., Oct. 28.

11

1854.  I don’t dispute, Mark, but that the old Governor is some punkins,—you might have done worse.—J. G. Baldwin, ‘Flush Times,’ p. 311.

12

1855.  See them ’ere watermelons as big as a bushel basket,—wouldn’t they call ’em “sum punkins” down East?—Herald of Freedom, Lawrence, Kas., May 26.

13

1856.  On this day the great American eagle flaps her wings, and soars aloft, until it makes your eyes sore to look at her, and, looking down upon her myriads of free and enlightened children, with flaming eyes, she screams, ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ which may be freely interpreted, ‘Ain’t I some?’ and myriads of freemen answer back with a joyous shout: ‘You are punkins!’—“John Phœnix,” Knick. Mag., xlviii. 636 (Dec.).

14

1857.  The sheriff of Jackson [County] is “some pumpkins” as a police officer, and a good fellow generally.—Oregon Weekly Times, July 4.

15

[1859.  Ye think yerself that I’m some persimmons now, don’t ye?—Mrs. Duniway, ‘Captain Gray’s Company,’ p. 26.]

16

1862.  

        She is some punkins, thet I wun’t deny,
(For ain’t she some related to you ’n’ I?)
Lowell, ‘Biglow Papers,’ 2nd Series, No. 2.    

17

1862.  I sorter used to think that Pineville was some punkins, tell I seed Augusty, and hit tuk the shine out of it.—W. T. Thompson, ‘The Slaveholder Abroad,’ p. 24 (Phila.).

18

1909.  We took Pomoroy’s word for it, as he is considered “some punkins” in Erie County.—N.Y. Evening Post, April 15.

19