[Ads-l] "Kryptonite" Finally in OED (UNCLASSIFIED)

[David Barnhart]

There's an entry in The Barnhart Dictionary Companion (vol 1.1, 1982).  That's thirty-three years ago.

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> On Jul 1, 2015, at 11:37 AM, Mullins, Bill CIV (US) <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL> wrote:
> 
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill CIV (US)" <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: "Kryptonite" Finally in OED (UNCLASSIFIED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
> 
> OED still lacks "dilithium crystals" from Star Trek.
> 
> Mythical places included:
> Atlantis, Mu, Shangri La, Midgard, Valhalla, Utopia (both More's literal pl=
> ace and figurative places), Flatland, Oz, Xanadu
> 
> Mythical places not [yet] included:
> Krypton (Superman's home planet), Vulcan (Spock's home planet; the hypothet=
> ical planet of our solar system is included, as is the sense which includes=
> Spock's race), Narnia, Middle Earth (Tolkien), Lilliput (it does show up i=
> n the etymology of Lilliput =3D person of small size), Brobdingnag (appears=
> in etymology of Brobdingnag =3D large), Pellucidar
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf =
> Of Shapiro, Fred
>> Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2015 7:09 AM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: "Kryptonite" Finally in OED
>> =20
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>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>> Subject:      "Kryptonite" Finally in OED
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>> =20
>> Some on this list may recall that I have long advocated that the OED incl=
> ud=3D e words that are important in specific popular fictional works
>> (novels, fil=3D ms, comics, etc.), regardless of whether the word in ques=
> tion has developed=3D  figurative meanings outside of the specific
>> fiction.  One of my main examp=3D les has been the term "kryptonite."
>> =20
>> I now see that the latest release of additions to the OED includes an ent=
> ry=3D  for "kryptonite."  I don't know that my campaign had anything
>> to do with t=3D his, nor that my general argument has gained any acceptan=
> ce (the OED's addi=3D tion of "kryptonite" may well have been based
>> on figurative meanings outsid=3D e of the Superman context).  But I am st=
> ill gratified by the addition of th=3D is word.
>> =20
>> It is interesting that the OED entry shows that "kryptonite" was used in =
> th=3D e "Adventures of Superman" radio series long before it was used
>> in the comi=3D cs.
>> =20
>> Fred Shapiro
>> =20
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> CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
> 
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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