[1] "Swipesy" was most likely written in the late 1890s when Joplin was living with the Marshall family and teaching Arthur composition.

[2] A popular legend says that the title was suggested by John Stillwell Stark, one of Joplin's original publishers, when "Swipesy" was first being considered for publication.

[3] The photograph which was to appear on the cover of the new (and unnamed) composition featured a young Sedalia newsboy[4] with a shy expression on his face.

Stark allegedly remarked that the boy's countenance seemed to suggest that he had just "swiped" something from a cookie jar.

Marshall gave another explanation of the title's origin during a 1960 interview: he and Joplin had just delivered the music to Stark's office when two newspaper boys began quarreling outside, one swiped a newspaper from the other, and Stark, upon observing this, suggested that they name the work "Swipesy".