Yuppie (1981)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

(ADS-L ARCHIVES, 21 June 2003)
On Sat, 21 Jun 2003, Baker, John wrote:

> it.  I'm tempted  to add "yuppie," but Fred Shapiro says it was used
> orally in the  1970s.  (Incidentally, I see "yuppie" used in the Dallas
> Morning  News on 7/19/82; is this an antedating?)  Even television

Very close  (how did you get this citation, John?), but not quite an
antedating.  It  is, however, notable as the second oldest citation anyone
has found as far as  I know.  The earliest I know of, which I believe I got
from the OED  files, is the following:

1982 Joseph Epstein in Commentary June 61 His  [John Irving's] novels
exert their greatest pull on those people who are  undecided about growing
up; they are college-educated, getting on and even  getting up in the
world, but with a bit of the hippie-dippie counterculture  clinging to them
still -- yuppies, they have been called, the initials YUP  standing for
young urban professionals.

Fred Shapiro
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(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
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_Chicago:  City on the brink; The social fallout of economic crisis Parts of 
city have  become economic wastelands _ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=635134972&SrchMode=1&sid=7&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&
TS=1121242009&clientId=65882) 
R C Longworth.  Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: May  13, 
1981. p. 1 (2 pages) 
First page:
It's almost a cliche to say that Chicago is a collection of neighborhoods.  
Some are rich and healthy--Beverly with its mostly white population, Pill Hill  
with its mostly black professionals, Lincoln Park with its Yuppies (Young 
Urban  Professionals).
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_Jerry  Rubin's new business is business_ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=1&did=638410862&SrchMode=1&sid=9&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=H
NP&TS=1121242180&clientId=65882) 
Bob Greene.  Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: Mar  23, 
1983. p. D1 (1 page) 
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_CHICAGO  BOOKSHELF; Greene's 'American Beat' faces reality of our 
crazy-quilt times _ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=2&did=635458692&SrchMode=1&sid=9&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1121242180&clientId=65882) 
Ron Grossman. Chicago Tribune  (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: Oct 16, 
1983. p. K43 (1 page) 
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_Why  Yuppiehood is not for me_ 
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=3&did=631320822&SrchMode=1&sid=9&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1121
242180&clientId=65882) 
Michael Kilian. Chicago Tribune (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: Jan 13,  
1984. p. 16 (1 page) 
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(OED)
yuppie
 
A jocular term for a member of a  socio-economic group comprising young 
professional people working in cities.  Also attrib. Cf. _YUMPIE_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&queryword=yuppie&first=1&max_to_show=10&
single=1&sort_type=alpha&xrefword=yumpie) .  

1984 PIESMAN & _HARTLEY_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-h2.html#hartley)  (title) The yuppie handbook. 1984 [see _YUMPIE_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&queryword=yuppie&first=1&max_to_show=10&single
=1&sort_type=alpha&xrefword=yumpie) ]. 1984 Times 21 Mar. 14/2 A new term  
has been introduced into the American political lexicon... It is ‘Yuppie’, 
which  stands for Young, urban professional people. 1984 Observer 8 Apr. 12/1 We 
have got  to break this yuppie image. 1984 Guardian 22 Oct. 6/6 The yuppies  
themselves, in the 25-34 age group, supported Senator Gary Hart in the  
primaries. 1984  Washington Post 29 Mar. Va1/5  The two yuppy, upwardly mobile 
professional capitals of Virginia. 1985  Investors Chron. 8-14 Nov. 8/1  It also 
announced that it will change its name to It athe yuppy clothes-chain responsible 
for its  meteoric rise.

Hence yuppi(e)ness; yuppyish  a. 

1984 N.Y.  Times 28 May 22/6 Yuppiness depends on the  prestige of gaining; 
happiness on the satisfaction of giving. 1986  Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 8 Jan. 
5/4 There is a serious side to yuppieness, as advertisers are  discovering. 
1986  Financial Times 22 Apr. 25/1  There is nothing yuppyish about the Folkes 
Group. 1987  Athletics Today Apr. 33/1 The  area, fast becoming the hot-bed of ‘
Yuppiness’, was first vacated several years  ago when the ships left London's 
docks. 1988 Fortune 15 Feb. 124/3 This  declaration points to upscale yuppyish 
types plainly able to afford $100 a week.