[Ads-l] Antedating of "Wacko"

[Ben Zimmer]

On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 9:34 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 9:08 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> wrote:
>
>> wacko (OED 1977)
>>
>>
>> 1965 _The Realist_ 1 Feb. 22/2 (Independent Voices)  Hey nures [sic], you
>> better give him a shot or something, he's goin' wacko!
>>
>
> Good cite for the adjective. In '06, I provided antedatings for "wacko" as
> a noun going back to 1938 (also OED2 1977).
>
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2006-January/056632.html
>
>
Make that 1936 (with the "whacko" spelling).

State Journal (Lansing, Mich.), Apr. 2, 1936, p. 13, col. 5
"That One Small Word: Why? Dominates Hauptmann Case"
Courtney Ryley Cooper (International News Service)
They've got to pick some whacko who won't want the state capital building
in return for false imprisonment.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/207040426/

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