(quasi-)neologisms

[Laurence Horn]

>On Mon, 9 May 2005 12:18:36 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer
><bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 9 May 2005 11:55:34 -0400, Michael Adams <madams1448 at AOL.COM>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>Jesse is right that ADJ + much predates "Buffy" -- but OED's second
>>>quote from "Heathers" is the only known pre-"Buffy" instance of it and
>>>the pattern seems to have been "invented" for "Heathers," then
>>>exploited by "Buffy" such that it's a "Buffyism" more than it's
>>>anything else.  (ADJ + much isn't the only item from "Heathers"
>>>borrowed and developed in "Buffy.")  Eventually, outside of "Buffy,"
>>>NOUN + much develops, apparently on the ADJ + much model, so ADJ + much
>>>is more interesting than at first it seems -- if anyone ever uncovers
>>>an instance of ADJ + much from between 1988 and 1997 (besides the one
>>>in the "Buffy" film of 1992), I'd be glad to hear about it, because it
>>>would change the picture some to know that it had a life outside of the
>>>Heathers/Buffy relationship.
>>
>>Check the Usenet archive.  For "jealous much?" I see one cite from '91,
>>two from '92, two from '93, etc.  I'd guess _Heathers_ fans did the early
>>popularizing.
>
>Some more Usenet examples of ADJ + _much?_ through '97 (the only one that
>occurs with much regularity is "paranoid much?", starting in '93):
>
>-----

all with negatively-evaluative content (no "tall much?" or
"intransitive much?"), and none of them true questions

L

>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.personals/msg/af123b601000310c
>alt.personals, Apr 24 1993
>Paranoid much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.games.doom/msg/20ee1942cb4d75e9
>alt.games.doom, Jan 7 1994
>Arrogant much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/k12.chat.teacher/msg/376d04fa398997f2
>k12.chat.teacher, Jan 22 1994
>Contradictory much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.politics.homosexuality/msg/ec643decf7dab0b4
>alt.politics.homosexuality, May 30 1994
>Obsessive much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/k12.chat.junior/msg/cf9ded057a6d6e59
>k12.chat.junior, Feb 1 1995
>Can we say "Rude Much?!"
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/misc.invest.stocks/msg/662fbcaea1aca4a0
>misc.invest.stocks, Oct 12 1996
>Confused much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.autos.sport.f1/msg/fbe1c2900b783abc
>rec.autos.sport.f1, May 22 1996
>Lazy much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.wedding/msg/19d9fc35c5ccbc7e
>alt.wedding, Dec 20 1996
>Geez, Kim, sarcastic much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.fashion/msg/b57eaff2299e87a7
>alt.fashion, Mar 28 1997
>Selfish much?
>-----
>
>Also, two related examples of V + "much?":
>
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren/msg/4e0b6f1ac6db9a69
>alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren, Feb 7 1996
>Gee, condescend much?
>-----
>http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.tv.x-files/msg/d8c113e74f887b19
>alt.tv.x-files, Feb 23 1996
>Gee.  Obsess much?
>-----
>
>
>--Ben Zimmer