acronym antedated to 1940

[Shapiro, Fred]

Another great antedating triumph for Stephen and for Google Books!

Fred Shapiro



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From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Stephen Goranson [goranson at DUKE.EDU]
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 6:45 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: acronym antedated to 1940

American Notes & Queries has it (p. 167) in Feb., 1943

Confirmed on paper:
Paris Gazette,
Lion Feuchtwanger;  translated by Willa and  Edwin Muir
xii, 860 p. 21 cm. New York, Viking Press, 1940.
Chapter 47, Beasts of Prey, pages 665-666:

His first glance at the _Paris German News_ told Wiesener that this new paper was nothing like the old _P.G._. "They can call it the _P.G.N._ if they like," he thought, "but that's the only difference. Pee-gee-emm; what's the word for words like  that, made out of initials? My memory is beginning to fail me. [p. 666] Just the other day there was a technical expression I couldn't remember. I must be growing old.
"_P.G._ or _P.G.N._, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other....
"Pee-gee-emm. It's an acronym, that's what it is. That's what they call words made up of initials. So i remember it after all; that's at least something....

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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