benny?

Dave Wilton dave at WILTON.NET
Thu Jun 16 01:36:35 UTC 2005


> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
> Of Jesse Sheidlower
> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2005 1:09 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: benny?
>
>Yes, it's "benefit". HDAS has this with a Military label, first example
>1970, though Ben or Bill will now post an example from 1915.

"Benny" (also "bennie") is also a Jersey Shore (esp. Monmouth & Ocean
counties) term for a summer tourist, someone from North Jersey. DARE dates
it to 1978-79, but I can attest the term is older, probably several decades
older. The origin is obscure. I know several competing explanations, none
with any firm evidence to support them.

--Dave Wilton
  dave at wilton.net
  http1950s.://www.wilton.net



More information about the Ads-l mailing list