scrumdiddlyumptious (1962)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Following up on Mark Peters' highly entertaining ADS paper,
"In-diddly-fixing Innovations: The Ned Flanders Effect," I was curious
about pre-Simpsons examples of in-diddly-fixation, particularly in
Flandersish usage where "diddly" is used for cutesifying effect rather
than as a euphemism for "fucking" or the like. The example that sprung
to mind was "scrumdiddlyumptious," a term I must have picked up from
the 1971 movie "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory," which featured a
"Scrumdidilyumptious Bar" (also marketed as an actual candy bar by
Quaker Oats, a sponsor of the movie).

But it turns out Disney used variants of "scrumdiddlyumptious" in its
advertising for the 1962 rerelease of the 1955 movie "The Lady and the
Tramp." I haven't been able to determine if it was used within the
movie or in advertising for the original 1955 release.

In any case, it's a good example of what Mark was talking about in
terms of partial reduplication of the stressed syllable
(scrum...umptious). Any other pre-Simpsons usage?


1962 _Marion (Ohio) star_ 23 Oct. 5 (advt.) Scrumdiddliumptious!* Walt
Disney's happiest twosome...Lady and the Tramp. *It means fun for
everyone!

1962 _Press Gazette_ (Hillsboro, Ohio) 27 Nov. 2 (advt.)
Scrumdidliumptious is the word for Walt Disney's happiest motion
picture, Lady and the Tramp.

1971 _Oakland Tribune_ 30 May (advt. for Willy Wonka's Candy Factory)
Now you can make your own scrumdidilyumptious candy at home.

1971 _New York Times_ 30 June 29 (advt. for "Willy Wonka & The
Chocolate Factory") It's scrumdidilyumptious!

1971 _Lincoln (Neb.) Star_ 25 July 3F/3 Technically, the film is a
scrumdidilyumptious (as they say in the movie) delight.

1972 _Chicago Tribune_ 17 Nov. C11/6 "Scrumdidliumptious" is the name
of a new candy bar. ... "Scrumdidliumptious," by the way, was an
adjective used in the movie version of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory," which was financed by Quaker.

1973 _Ironwood (Mich.) Daily Globe_ 17 May 7 (advt.)
Scrumdiddly~umptious! We've just about run out of superlatives to
describe Bruno's Italian Bread ahd Hard Rolls.


--Ben Zimmer