aste(r)perious

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Sep 5, 2004, at 3:37 AM, Jonathon Green wrote:

> Surely
>
> astorperious: arrogant, haughty.

'haughty, supercilious' was roughly what i was abstracting from the
contexts, but with no great assurance.

though google once again asks if i meant "asterperious", "astorperious"
gets some more hits, in particular three more from Zora Neale Hurston:

from "A Story in Harlem Slang":
-----
  Jelly slammed his hand in his bosom as if to draw a gun. Sweet Back
did the same.

  "If you wants to fight, Sweet Back, the favor is in me."

  "I was deep-thinking then, Jelly. It's a good thing I ain't
short-tempered. 'T'aint nothing to you, nohow. You ain't hit me yet."

  Both burst into a laugh and changed from fighting to lounging poses.

  "Don't get too yaller on me, Jelly. You liable to get hurt some day."

  "You over-sports your hand your ownself. Too blamed astorperious. I
just don't pay you no mind. Lay de skin on me!"

  They broke their handshake hurriedly, because both of them looked up
the Avenue and saw the same thing.
-----

from "Why They Always Use Rawhide on a Mule", ch. 7 of Mules and Men:
-----
"Who gittin' old? Not me! Ah laks de lies. All I said is yo talkin'
skeers off all de trouts and sheepheads. Ah can't eat no  lies.

  "Aw, gran'pa, don't be so astorperious! We all wants to  hear Larkins'
tale. I'm goin' ketch you some fish. We ain't off lak dis often.
-----

and from her "Glossary of Harlem Slang":
-----
Astorperious: haughty, biggity
-----

for a much more recent, non-Hurston cite, there's the newsgroup
alt.rap, with a rap "Mo Freestyling" by CreoleLady
(creolelady at aol.com), 8/16/97, which begins:
-----
Most player haters
are ubiquitous spectators
But I'm like Sisyphus with the rock
Never mind  your loaded glock
Studio hermits can never offend me
They lack the hegemony
you are nothing in a society
where nothing plus nothing equals nothing much
and nothing much minus really nothing much
equals more nothing
I'm not astorperious
or nefarious
or unserious
but you're delirious
and oh so delusional
get ready for the fall
-----

> This reflects the position of the Astor family, especially is grander,
> female members, and is part of a group which includes 'Mrs' or 'Miss
> Astor': an overdressed, showy woman; the (self-proclaimed) leader of a
> community; 'Astorbilt' (which brings in the Vanderbilts): one who
> considers themself a cut above their peers; one who dresses
> ostentatiously; a member of high society. 'Mrs. Astor's per
> horse/poodle':
> an arrogant, haughty or over-dressed/made-up woman.

the dates are pretty much right.  but is there any evidence connecting
the Astor family to the word?  note that Hurston varied her spelling,
and didn't mention the Astors.

in the more recent citings, of course, the source is entirely obscure.
oh, here's another spelling: "astiperious":
-----
So even tho we know we lucked out and bought a car that was for a short
time sold at a price that was accessible to the middle class, but was
not your average middle class car should not feel astiperious.
(Alisen <Alisen at aol.com>, 11/18/99, on the subject "More Y2K", on the
Talon (automobile) mailing list; yes, the syntax unravels.  there is
clear evidence that Alisen is a woman, and almost surely  white: "While
I have no plans to sell my talon, and plan to be the little blue haired
old lady driving the talon the in fast lane with people trying to catch
up,..."  she also says that she's from the midwest.)
-----

arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)