Abbott and Costello routine

[Laurence Horn]

At 2:27 PM -0400 3/10/09, Bill Palmer wrote:
>Good point.  I'm wondering if "Who's on first?" is more ageless.
>

Isn't that the echt A&C routine?  Or is the idea that people are
familiar with the "Who's on first?" routine but don't know that it's
Abbott and Costello?  I find that hard to believe, but I'm probably
just showing my age (again).

LH

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Scot LaFaive" <slafaive at GMAIL.COM>
>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 2:15 PM
>Subject: Abbott and Costello routine
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail
>>header -----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Scot LaFaive <slafaive at GMAIL.COM>
>>Subject:      Abbott and Costello routine
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>"What is this, an Abbott and Costello routine/skit/bit?"
>>
>>First of all, how prevalent is this for describing a confusing, circular
>>conversation? (I get about 40 google hits.)
>>Second, is this a dying expression with future generation's inevitably
>>forgetting about Abbott and Costello save their names?
>>
>>Scot
>>
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>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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