(quasi-)neologisms

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Mon, 9 May 2005 14:07:51 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer
<bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:

>One interesting example from the Usenet archive:
>
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/k12.chat.junior/msg/cf9ded057a6d6e59
>k12.chat.junior, Feb 1 1995
>Can we say "Rude Much?!"
>-----
>
>This combines two framing devices for sarcastic rhetorical questions:
>"Can we say 'X'?" and "X much?"  The form "Can we/you say...?" has been
>around for quite a while, no doubt based on the pedantic patter of
>kiddie-show hosts (the question sometimes has the vocative tag, "...boys
>and girls?").

Specifically, the late Fred Rogers was the source of the parody.  Robin
Williams had a stand-up routine (recorded on the 1979 album _Reality...
What A Concept_) spoofing "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood": "Can you say
'entropy'?  Nice try!"  I believe the _Bloom County_ comic strip had a
similar bit in the early '80s.  So by 1983 or so, "Can you say...?" had
become a general sarcastic putdown, quickly attaining cliche status:

-----
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/net.politics/msg/ba59273bb175fb22
net.politics, Aug 3 1983
Can you say "plutocratic, sexist, and racist"?  Sure.
-----
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/net.comics/msg/b47ad56138e1230c
net.comics, May 15 1984
Can you say "Stuck in a 1960's time warp and very ignorant and writes like
a 5-year-old"?  Sure you can!
-----
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/net.followup/msg/86ec7ba118d0322e
net.followup, May 21 1984
Can you say reverse discrimination?  Uh huh, thought you could.
-----
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/net.philosophy/msg/8ab35f08a28234f4
net.philosophy, Aug 28 1984
can you say "ad hom-i-nem"? I thought so.
-----
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/net.mail/msg/74dcd7c293d4ae0c
net.mail, Oct 14 1984
can you say ambiguous?  i knew you could!
-----
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/net.railroad/msg/f8e7caa7d1afc7a6
net.railroad, Oct 28 1984
can you say paranoia?  I knew you could.
-----

I wonder if this is something of a forerunner of "X much?"  The sarcasm of
"X much?" is less condescending (and more compact) than "Can you say 'X'?"
but both formations take the same sort of negatively-evaluative content,
as Larry put it.


--Ben Zimmer