possible antedate of indiscriminative "whatever"?

[Jonathan Lighter]

If there's a difference between then and now, it's that recent use is uttered more emphatically and dismissively.  It's as though the word was formerly taken to mean something like, "Well, whatever the case may be, it really doesn't matter." Nowadays the sense is often more like, "Whatever the hell you're saying, I could(n't) care less!" If you doubt its sarcasm, just listen to many of the guests on Springer.

  I believe, though won't swear, that I first noticed the newer nuance in the early to mid '80s.  It didn't seem slangy enough for me to make a note of it.

  JL

Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Jesse Sheidlower
Subject: Re: possible antedate of indiscriminative "whatever"?
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On Thu, Jul 20, 2006 at 04:08:25PM -0400, Laurence Horn wrote:
> Consider this dialogue from the last ensemble scene in the fourth of
> the "Thin Man" movies. Stevens, one of the miscreants, is trying to
> maintain his alibi for the time of the murder, despite his visit to
> the victim's apartment.
>
> Lt. Abrams: "In case you want to deny it, I can get the cab driver
> who took you there."
> Stevens: "Whatever. That was four hours before Rainbow was killed."
>
> "Shadow of the Thin Man", 1941

[...]

> Jesse, what sayest thou?

It looks pretty solid to me. I'm trying to find a reason to
dismiss it, but can't.

JTS

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