Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. any form of mawkish sentimentality, desined to elicit tears from its audience; esp. of heavily romantic films with either a sad or happy conclusion, either of which should guarantee a weeping audience; similarly of mawkish ballads and love-songs or a situation constructed to promote an emotional charge.

1912		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 81: Jaims starts his act by reciting a tear jerker entitled My Pal.
1915		E. Poole Harbor (1919) 130: Here’s just [...] the stuff that’ll make your women-readers sit right up and sob out aloud. I don’t care for tear-jerkers myself.
1920		A. Baer Speeches of Fuller Durham 18 July [synd. col.] When he pulled a tearjerker on his audience he wasn’t satisfied with making them cry.
1933		S. Walker Night Club Era 225: His favorite tear-jerker, in his speeches, was a declaration of his great affection for New York City.
1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 60: We played their favourite tearjerkers, songs like Ace in the Hole, My Gal Sal and Melancholy Baby.
1969		N. Cohn Awopbop. (1970) 82: Ballads were his meat. Tearjerkers.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 59: My ticker boomed counterpoint to Savannah’s tear jerker.
1985		J. Sullivan ‘As One Door Closes’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] If they made it into a film it’d be a bigger tear-jerker than Love Story!
1999		Guardian Guide 26 June–2 July 91: The 70s domestic tearjerkers of Tammy [Wynette] and Dolly [Parton].
2000		Guardian Rev. 22 Jan. 12: I’ve been touched by how many of you have a really soft spot for some terrible tear-jerker.
2004		D. Hayes [title] Tearjerker.

2. one who creates such material.

1912		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 81: I’m Susie Sniffer of the Daily Banner — I’m writing sob stuff — I’m their star tear jerker.
1975		L. Dills CB Slanguage 108: Tear Jerker: CBer who tells sad stories on the radio.