Antedating of " Pinko"

Benjamin Zimmer bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU
Sat Jan 14 15:27:08 UTC 2006


On 1/13/06, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> If the -o of "pinko" (n.) is the same as that of "weirdo," "cheapo," etc., and similar
> nouns, it seems to me to be the earliest in English.
>
>   I'll admit I haven't checked caerfully. But this is certainly my impression.

"Wino" dates to 1915 (OED2, MWCD11).


--Ben Zimmer



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