your mail

Jesse Sheidlower jester at PANIX.COM
Fri Feb 15 15:09:53 UTC 2002


>
> "Anal" = "precise"/"fussy"/etc. is an abbreviation of "anal retentive"
> originally, I believe.

Actually, the OED evidence has _anal_ from 1930 with _anal retentive_
not attested until 1958. But it's my impression that the recent use
of _anal_ in non-psychological contexts, sometimes even regarded as
"slang", is indeed a clipping of _anal retentive_ rather than a continued
use of the broader earlier _anal_.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED



More information about the Ads-l mailing list