[Ads-l] Kung Flu

[Jonathan Lighter]

1973 Gene Siskel, in Chi. Tribune_ ( May 13) E4: He was referring to "Five
Fingers of Death," the fabulously successful karate flick that has
generated a film business stampede or, if you prefer, an  epidemic of Asian
kung-flu.

1973 _Views Letter_ III (No. 4) 19 [Via Google Books, unverified]: The
Asiatic virus is with us once again. This season, however, some witty
physician calls it, "Kung flu." * * * SADDEST PIFFLE OF THE MONTH "I'm no :
t a crook," claimed Richard M. Nixon. "I've earned everything I've got."

1988 Joseph Rosenbloom _The World's Best Sports Riddles and Jokes_  (N.Y.:
Sterling) 35 [GB]: What sickness did Bruce Lee get every winter? Kung Flu.

2020 Jessica Rusick _The World's Best (and Worst) Gross Jokes_
(Minneapolis: Lerner) 18: Q Why did the ninja [sic] stay home? A He was
sick with the kung flu!

2020
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/03/18/reporter_to_president_trump_is_it_acceptable_to_call_coronavirus_kung_flu.html
(March 18):  ALCINDOR: A person at the White House used the term "Kung
Flu."  TRUMP: Kung Flu?  ALCINDOR: Kung Flu.

OED has exx. of "kung fu" from 1966, but few Americans had heard of "kung
fu" (Chinese martial arts) before the premiere of the eponymous ABC-TV
series on October 14, 1972.

JL

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org