Generation D

[Laurence Horn]

At 8:23 AM -0500 3/30/01, Paul McFedries wrote:
>  > > A current ad for WorldCom uses the phrase Generation D.  Is this simply
>>  > an ad/pr slogan, or does the phrase have any currency in use?
>>
>>  No. Strictly an ad/pr thing.
>
>Not true. For a citation that doesn't reference WorldCom's campaign in any
>way, and for a citation that *pre-dates* the beginning of WorldCom's
>campaign, see my Word Spy entry:
>
>http://www.logophilia.com/WordSpy/GenerationD.html
>
>Paul

Nice.  Speaking of which, does anyone have a first cite on Generation
X, used to refer to the actual generation in question (however
defined) and not to the punk-rock band that may or may not have given
rise to the generation?  AHD4 cites Douglas Coupland's eponymous
novel as the source, but that was published in 1991 and I would have
guessed the term antedated the novel.  In fact, here's one random
cite from 1989 via Nexis:
================================
The Toronto Star
April 5, 1989, Wednesday, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. D1
HEADLINE: Playboy hugs the bear; Soviet bruin-ette joins menagerie of lovelies
BYLINE: By Bruce Blackadar Toronto Star

'There's a curious comic strip called "Generation X" that seeks, a
little desperately, to capture the mindset of those following in the
wake of the baby-boomers.'
================
I confess I'm just being either lazy or impatient--my RHHDAS, which
may have the answer, is at home, and I'm not.

larry