world war

[Jonathan Lighter]

World War II is likewise "the Big War" for the succeeding generation of vets, and for comparable reasons.

In his novel of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1927?), B. Traven has Dobbs refer to WWI as "The Big Parade," presumably influenced by the 1925 film of that name.  This phrase seems to be unique to Traven, though other exx. could well exist.

JL

paulzjoh <paulzjoh at MTNHOME.COM> wrote:
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Poster: paulzjoh

Subject: Re: world war
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At 70, my memory of W.W.I vets is their constantly referring to the "Big
War", versus, I guess those that served in the Spanish American or Central
American excursions.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Lighter"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 6:09 PM
Subject: Re: world war


> Fun Facts !
>
> Before WWII, Britons mostly called 1914-18 the "Great War," while
Americans rarely called it anything other than the "World War."
>
> The recent trend for PhD Americans to say the "Great War," even when
referring to American activities, seems to stem from a familiarity with Paul
Fussell's _The Great War and Modern Memory_ (1975), a book concerned almost
solely with British writers.
>
> It's Fun to Learn ! ! !
>
>
> JL
> "Mullins, Bill" wrote:
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> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: "Mullins, Bill"
> Subject: world war
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> National Review Online's blog, The Corner, had a discussion today about
whether the use of the phrase "World War I" in the period between the wars
was anachronistic.
> http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/05_04_10_corner-archive.asp#060423
>
>
> "world war" OED has 1909
> "War Clouds in Europe." Los Angeles Times; Feb 4, 1887; pg. 4 col 2.
> "She may, in the interest of humanity not wish to see the crisis
precipitated; but she is the nation above all others that will profit by the
complications and consequences of a world war."
>
>
> CASTRO'S APPREHENSION. Los Angeles Times; Feb 3, 1903; pg. 1, col 4.
> ""I cannot grasp the news from Washington. I fear that the Venezuelan
conflict will be made a pretext for a world war.""
>
>
>
> "World War II" OED has Sept 11, 1939.
> TELEPATHY. Washington, Sept. 3 [letter to editor] The Washington Post; Sep
7, 1939; pg. 10, col 5.
> "My great love for you prompts me to give you some advice on how to
conduct yourself during World War II, which has apparently begun."
>
>
>
> "second world war" [general] OED has 1930
> "Student Hear Oriental News" Los Angeles Times; Dec 30, 1927; pg. 6 col 4
> "Speaking before the student convention Dr. Wei declared a second world
war, worse than the last, would result should China attempt to become a
nation of the European type and succeed."
>
>
>
> "second world war" [specific to the conflict that ended in 1945] OED has
1942
> Brookhart to Talk. The Washington Post; Jan 14, 1937; pg. 7 col 4.
> "Taking as his topic "Prospects for the Second World War," former Senator
Smith W. Brookhart, of Iowa, will address the Capital City Forum at 8:15
p.m. tomorrow at 1502 Fourteenth street northwest."
>
> Broun, Fischer Speak on Spain To 1,000 Here. The Washington Post; Mar 3,
1937; pg. 24 col 1.
> "Declaring the difficulty in Spain "is the first battle of the Second
World War," Fischer said Franco, leader of the rebel forces is not an
individual but an embodiment of Mussolini and Hitler."
>
>
>
> "First World War" [specific to the 1914-1918 conflict] OED has 1931
> [book title] _The First World War_ Lt-Col à Court Repington, Boston, New
York, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1920
>
>
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