"Earworm"

[Laurence Horn]

Ah, my error.  I should obviously have written not "gets (or at least
demands) credit" but "has been credited in print" or something along
that more mediated line.  And as is often the case, it's the
attributor of credit who's to blame, not the attributee.

L

At 3:02 PM -0500 3/6/05, Baker, John wrote:
>         I wrote Professor Kellaris to ask if he really invented
>"earworm."  He replied as follows:
>
>
><<Dear John,
>
>
>The answer to your question is an unambiguous "no."  Despite the an article
>in the NY Times that says the term was "coined by" me, I did not invent (nor
>have I ever claimed to invent) the term.  Unfortunately, many media sources
>picked up the NYT article and reprinted it.
>
>"Earworms" is a common expression in German.  I merely translated (or rather
>transliterated) it into English.  I take no credit for this, although I will
>accept credit for "popularizing" the term though my widely-publicized
>research.  Thanks for asking!  It allows me to set the record straight.
>
>FYI, after the NYT article, I heard from dozens of irrate German-speaking
>people who told me that I did not invent the term.  I took the time to
>answer each one individually to set the record straight.
>
>- James>>
>
>
>         I then asked if I could forward his response to ASD-L, and he replied:
>
>
><<John,
>
>ADS?  Yessuh, y'aw be ve'y weh'come ter share mah response wif d'listserv.
>(Let me know if you'd like an audio clip of me reading that sentence.  I
>spent my youth in Georgia.  Hence I am bi-lingual...)
>
>-James>>
>
>
>John Baker
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
>Of Laurence Horn
>Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 9:23 PM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: "Earworm"
>
>
>Ah, but you're all forgetting Prof. James Kellaris of the University
>of Cincinnati, who gets (or at least demands) credit for
>single-handedly inventing the word in 2000, only 13 years
>post-Rheingold, as also discussed extensively on the list:
>
>What's With That Song Stuck in Your Head?
>
>By RACHEL KIPP, AP
>
>ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 20 [2003]) - Unexpected and insidious, the earworm
>slinks its way
>into the brain and refuses to leave. Symptoms vary, although high levels of
>annoyance and frustration are common. There are numerous potential treatments,
>but no cure.
>         ''The Lion Sleeps Tonight,'' and Chili's ''baby back ribs''
>jingle are two
>songs that are tough to shake.
>         ''Earworm'' is the term coined by University of Cincinnati marketing
>professor James Kellaris for the usually unwelcome songs that get
>stuck in people's
>heads. Since beginning his research in 2000, Kellaris has heard from
>people all
>over the world requesting help, sharing anecdotes and offering solutions...