Hinky Dinky

[Baker, John]

        Hinky Dinky Supermarkets, Inc., a 12-store chain in Nebraska, was sold in 2000; I don't know if the buyer continues to use the Hinky Dinky name, but I assume from Matthew Gordon's message that it does not.  Hinky Dinky is also a name used in Michigan and Minnesota.  I checked the corporate records for those three states, and the oldest corporate name in use dated only to 1979.  Of course, that doesn't prove anything, because there are various reasons why an existing business may create a new corporate entity.

        "Parley voo" is obviously from "parlez-vous."  What's the prevailing theory as to the origin of "Inky Pinky" or "Hinky Dinky"?

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 12:42 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Hinky Dinky


I wonder if the name of the chain antedates the song (1918).  But I doubt it does.

JL



"Gordon, Matthew J." <GordonMJ at MISSOURI.EDU> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Gordon, Matthew J."
Subject: Re: Hinky Dinky
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Hinky Dinky was the supermarket of my youth in Lincoln, NE. They've gone =
out of business (or changed their name) in Lincoln.