"Carmageddon" (B. Popik website)

Garson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Thu Jul 14 23:22:46 UTC 2011


Cohen, Gerald Leonard Cohen wrote:
> Barry also notifies me: that he made  five entries yesterday, including an earlier "Fanny May" in the
> 1938 Wall Street Journal. (Ben Zimmer posted a cite in 2008).  Barry comments:  "The Google
> News version was garbled and I hope I have that right."

The ProQuest image shows that the citation Barry found is valid. The
spelling given in the WSJ article is plural: Fanny Mays.

Cite: 1938 May 16, Wall Street Journal, Bonds and Bond Men by John
Broderick, Page 6, New York. (ProQuest)

The Federal National Mortgage Association notes which are to be sold
Wednesday will have to have an abbreviated title like other
obligations of the Government and its agencies.  So last week traders
tentatively dubbed them the "Fanny Mays," an adoption of the initials
of the title. Sounds like the name of a mule.

Garson

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