E for Effort (1940)

[Benjamin Barrett]

I'm 37. Google gives 3310 hits for "E for effort" compared to 11,700 for "A
for effort", which is in synch with my experience of "A" being more common.

Benjamin Barrett

>-----Original Message-----
>On Behalf Of Wilson Gray
>
>How old are you? I'm nearly 70 and it's "E for effort" that I
>recall from my elementary-school years in the early '40's. "A
>for effort" feels like a hypercorrection, as you imply when
>you say that "'A' is easier to understand."
>
>-Wilson Gray
>
>On May 3, 2004, at 11:17 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>>
>> I've heard that version, but I more commonly hear, and I use "A for
>> effort". When I hear "E", I always wonder if it's a failing
>grade, so
>> the "A" is easier to understand.
>>
>> Benjamin Barrett
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]
>>>
>>> E FOR EFFORT--3,270 Google hits, 2,120 Google Groups hits