"Clam" (slang term for Scientologist)

[Bruce K. Dykes]

-----Original Message-----
From: Barry A. Popik <Bapopik at AOL.COM>
To: ADS-L at UGA.CC.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at UGA.CC.UGA.EDU>
Date: Monday, May 10, 1999 09:28
Subject: "Clam" (slang term for Scientologist)


>      I did a check for "Columbine" and "slang" and didn't come up with
much.
> There's "420" and "the trenchcoat mafia."
>      Someone wrote that the shooters were "clams" (Scientologists).  There
>were 1400 hits for "clam"/"Scientologist" on the Usenet database.  Why no
>entry in the RHHDAS?  How old is the term?  Is it because its members are
>secretive?


I don't know the origin of the term, but it's been in use since at least
1994 on alt.slack, the Church of the Subgenius newsgroup...

It probably predates that by a bit...