Dubya/Dubyuh

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

"George the Dubyuh and Albert the Gee."
--William Safire, NEW YORK TIMES, 24 June 1999.

   A check of Lexis/Nexis shows that this is the ONLY "dubyuh."  It's
"dubya."  Molly Ivins popularized it as the nickname for Texas Governor
George W. Bush.
  Does M-W have earlier?
  Some hits:

12 March 1994, SEATLLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, pg. D1--"We're talking Dubya Dubya
One."  (WWI)

24 March 1995--A Molly Ivins column.

2 January 1997, VIRGINIAN-PILOT (Norfolk, VA)--A discussion of Hank Hill in
the animated Fox tv show KING OF THE HILL states that "the letter 'w' comes
out sounding like 'dubya.'"

25 August 1998, AP (Oklahoma City)--A horse is named "Dubya Two."

October 1998, ESQUIRE--"Dubya" (cartoon satire of George W. Bush).

19 April 1999, WASHINGTON POST, pg. F26--"And around Austin, Tex., where
George W. Bush is sometimes known by the moniker 'Dubya,' the local
pronunciation of his middle initial, you can find this bumper sticker: 'W2K.'"

   There are a lot of hits for June 1999.