E for Effort (1940)

[Wilson Gray]

Well, just between you and I <har! har!>, the hypercorrection typically
becomes more common that the original. Bad money drives out good,

-Wilson Gray

On May 4, 2004, at 10:39 AM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <bjb5 at U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: E for Effort (1940)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> I'm 37. Google gives 3310 hits for "E for effort" compared to 11,700
> for "A
> for effort", which is in synch with my experience of "A" being more
> common.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> On Behalf Of Wilson Gray
>>
>> How old are you? I'm nearly 70 and it's "E for effort" that I
>> recall from my elementary-school years in the early '40's. "A
>> for effort" feels like a hypercorrection, as you imply when
>> you say that "'A' is easier to understand."
>>
>> -Wilson Gray
>>
>> On May 3, 2004, at 11:17 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>>>
>>> I've heard that version, but I more commonly hear, and I use "A for
>>> effort". When I hear "E", I always wonder if it's a failing
>> grade, so
>>> the "A" is easier to understand.
>>>
>>> Benjamin Barrett
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]
>>>>
>>>> E FOR EFFORT--3,270 Google hits, 2,120 Google Groups hits
>