Heisman (was Re: verb eponyms)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 13:25:22 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:

>On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 09:33:13 -0400, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
>>I wonder if the famous incident(s?) in which Desmond Howard, wide
>>receiver at the U. of Michigan, struck the Heisman pose after scoring
>>a touchdown to promote his own candidacy for the award--together with
>>the fact that he did in fact win it, in 1991--contributed to raising
>>the profile of that pose for lexical as well as commercial purposes.
>
>Possibly. Connie Eble says the figurative "Heisman" usage was popularized
>during the 1990—91 academic year, which roughly accords with my memory as
>a Yale undergrad. She also mentions the song "The Heisman" by Johnny
>Quest as being popular that year (it later appeared on their 1992 album
>_10 Million Summers_). The group Johnny Quest is from Raleigh, NC, so it
>would make sense if that was a point of reference for Eble's UNC students
>(it wasn't for Yale students). Some lyrics I found online:
>
>-----
>http://heresahint.org/portal/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=24
>She's cashing your checks, got the car in a wreck;
>poured Diet Coke, into your tape deck.
>You should give that girl: The Heisman!
>...
>Washin' those dishes every day of the week,
>for a skinny little slave-drivin' torture freak
>Down the street Johnny Quest is playin'
>He wants you to work, but instead you're sayin:
>I should give this job: The Heisman!
>-----

Turns out the Johnny Quest song goes all the way back to 1989, so that
would predate Desmond Howard's Heisman-posing...

-----
The Washington Times, July 12, 1991, p. E3 (Factiva)
Veterans of the college circuit, Johnny Quest knows its audience. "The
Heisman," title track of their four-song cassette, is a nod to the age
group that frequents its shows. Named after the coveted NCAA football
Heisman Trophy, a bronze study of a ball carrier stiff-arming his way
downfield, the tune urges beleaguered boys to give unruly girlfriends "the
Heisman," i.e. a stiff-arm out the door.
-----
The Herald Rock Hill, SC, Feb 13, 1992, p. 1C (Factiva)
Joe Farmer of metal/funk band Johnny Quest can say this about the music
industry: Getting a record company to say you have a great band and
getting them to commit $100,000 are two different things.
But that didn't stop the Raleigh, N.C., band from producing its own
four-song cassette in 1989. Aptly titled `The Heisman` for the offensive
move featured on the NCAA football trophy, songs such as `You Make Me
Feel, Like, Unnatural Woman` urge a guy to not let anything interfere with
dumping a worthless girlfriend.
-----
News & Observer Raleigh, NC, May 1, 1992, p. W10 (Factiva)
Consider, for example, the Triangle's own Johnny Quest, who have as good a
track record as you'll find at the unsigned-band level. Playing 200-plus
live shows a year, JQ has earned a rabid following in college towns
throughout the Southeast, where its punk-funk hybrid is king.
That hard work translated into impressive sales for JQ's 1989 four-song
cassette release, "The Heisman," which moved 12,000 copies. Now, the band
hopes to move to the next level with its first full-length album, "10
Million Summers," which hits the stores today.
-----


--Ben Zimmer