Ribbit! (1965)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

The OED entry for "ribbit" = 'sound made by a frog' gives a first cite of
c1968 from the _Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour_ ("That's right. Ribit! I
am. I am a frog").  There's a note from the Smothers Brothers program
manager saying that he doubted that this was the first use of the word.

In a discussion of "ribbit" on the alt.usage.english newsgroup, Donna
Richoux found a reference online to a 1965 _Gilligan's Island_ episode
with Mel Blanc voicing the character of "Ribbit the Frog"...

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http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/GuidePageServlet/showid-599/epid-10123/
Gilligan's Island - Water, Water Everywhere
Episode Number  14
First Aired     January 2, 1965
Production Code 0714
Writer          Tom Waldman & Frank Waldman
Director        Stanley Z. Cherry
Guest Stars:    Mel Blanc (as Ribbit the Frog (voice))
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--Ben Zimmer