-est x3

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 11:12 AM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:
>
> from Michael Brick,
> Lizard as Big as Texas Finds
> A New Rooftop Home There
> NYT, 6/14/10
>
> ... By force of sheer monstrosity, Iggy soon became the mascot of the tequila-
> swillingest, cosmic-country-blaringest, 10-gallon-hat-wearingest joint in all
> of New York.
>
> my question is about the triplicate superlative formula in the cite, which
> i'm sure is of some age.  anyone have similar examples of reasonable
> venerableness?

Surely Yosemite Sam is the locus classicus. From IMDb:

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000588/quotes

Hare Trigger (1945)
Yosemite Sam: Jesse James? Ha ha ha! Phooey. Why, everybody knows me. I'm
Yosemite Sam, the meanest, toughest, rip-roarin'-est, Edward Everett Horton-est
hombre what ever packed a six-shooter!

Bugs Bunny Rides Again (1948)
Yosemite Sam: Yeah, Yosemite Sam - the roughest, toughest he-man stuffest hombré
that's ever crossed the Rio Grande. An' I ain't no namby-pamby.

Buccaneer Bunny (1948)
Yosemite Sam: What's up, Doc? I ain't no Doc. I'm a pirate - Seagoing Sam, the
blood-thirstiest, shoot 'em first-iest, doggone worst-iest buccaneer that's
ever sailed a Spanish main!

14 Carrot Rabbit (1952)
Yosemite Sam: Yeah, Chillicothe Sam, the roughest, toughest, rootinest,
shootinest claim-jumper that ever jumped a claim, and I'm-a takin' over *your*
claim! So get-a goin' a-fore I puncture your hide!


--Ben Zimmer

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