[Ads-l] Euphemism?

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Ben Zimmer wrote:
> Try hyphenating. OED2 has "wise-ass" from 1971 (Current Slang, Univ. S.
> Dakota), and also "wise-assed" from 1967 (Tamony's "Americanisms"). Green's
> Dictionary of Slang, meanwhile, has "wise-ass"  from 1961 and "wise-assed"
> from 1960.
>
> https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/p7oyyzi
> https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/laf3gkq

There are early matches in which a "wise ass" refers to a donkey. Here
is a snippet match for "wise ass" with the modern sense that is
probably from 1959.

Year: 1959 (According to GB)
Book Title: Let Me Be Awake
Author: Stuart Mitchner
Publisher: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., New York
Database: Google Books Snippet; data may be inaccurate; should be
verified with hardcopy. Probe for 1959 show "Copyright 1959" in a
snippet.

[Begin extracted text - GB page 127]
“A wise-ass! We've got a goddam wise-ass! I hate wise-asses, Reed, and
you're the biggest wise-ass in this whole green-ass lousy pledge
class!” A pledge laughed and was immediately shouted down. “Funny,
Bailey? Laughing at your own ...
[End extracted text]

Search for "1959" displays a snippet suggesting that the year is accurate.

[Begin snippet text]
Copyright (c) 1959 by Stuart Mitchner
All Rights reserved, No Part of This Book May
[End snippet text]

Here is a match in 1960 that is fully visible in HathiTrust. The
excerpt seems to be a war scenario and "Nips" are mentioned which
suggests the WWII time period, but the slang presented by the author
might be anachronistic

Year: 1960 Copyright
Book Title: Do Not Go Gentle
Author: David MacCuish
Publisher: Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York

https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015030760725
https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015030760725?urlappend=%3Bseq=233

[Begin excerpt from page 226 and 227]
Hudge grunted a laugh that dissolved into silence as the bleak eyes of
Larko hit him. "You got a feather up your ass, Hudgins?"
"Only salt water, Sarge. I was jus' thinkin'—"
"Stow it! Yer not paid ta think."
Hudge rapped his helmet with the knuckles of a dirty hand.
"Pardon, commander. My head gets in the way sometimes."
"The Nips have a cure for that, wise ass!"
[End excerpt]

Garson

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