Bomb

[Wilson Gray]

Back in the '50's - unfortunately, I can't find a single exact date
for him - there was Robert P. "H-Bomb" Ferguson, known to DJ's as
"The Bomb." IMO, the "bomb" referenced in today's slang is likewise
the H-bomb. Note that I'm *not* suggesting any connection whatsoever
between the contemporary bomb and H-Bomb Ferguson.

-Wilson

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Bomb
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>
>Jesse, I hate it when you cite my own works against me.  But I
>proactively wrote "at least."
>
>JL
>
>Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM> wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Jesse Sheidlower
>Subject: Re: Bomb
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>
>On Mon, Mar 14, 2005 at 11:36:55AM -0800, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>
>>  Anything truly splendid is currently designated"da [i.e.,
>>'the'] bomb" by rap-happy American youth. This has been going
>>on since at least 1997.
>
>I can't remember when we discussed this, but the earliest example
>I'm aware of of _the bomb_ is from the spoken-word introduction
>to the 1975 Parliament song "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)".
>There's an example from Greg Tate in 1983 hidden in the HDAS
>entry for _the joint_.
>
>Jesse Sheidlower
>OED
>
>
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