Sophomore Slump & Senior Slump

[Jonathan Lighter]

Dipping back nearly half a century, I recall that sportscasters also referred to the "sophomore jinx."  Young players would try hard to "beat the sophomore jinx." Wackypedia even has an article about it.

  JL

"Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
Subject: Re: Sophomore Slump & Senior Slump
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sophomore Slump" has both literal and figurative meanings. The cites
provided by Barry seem to refer to actual students in their second year
of studies.

But second year baseball players have dips in statistics. The second
album by many rock bands fails to perform as well as their first.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 10:06 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Sophomore Slump & Senior Slump
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject: Sophomore Slump & Senior Slump
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> SENIOR SLUMP--14,400 Google hits
> SOPHOMORE SLUMP--379,000 Google hits
> ...
> ...
> ...
> Jon Stewart, on the Daily Show, said that the Iraq War is
> going into its fourth year. President George Bush is now a
> "senior" and his ratings are suffering from the "senior slump."
> ...
> OED has neither "sophomore slump" (far more common) nor
> "senior slump."
> ...
> ...
> ...
> (PROQUEST)
> ...
> _The Thin Envelope; So comes the bitter news that a college
> has turned a youngster down. What now? _
> (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=104086279&SrchMode
=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName
> =HNP&TS=1143518324&clientId=65882)
> By SAMUEL WITHERS. New York Times (1857-Current file). New
> York, N.Y.: Jun 11, 1961. p. SM63 (2 pages) ...
> The Senior Slump, as it's known in many high schools, hits in
> mid-March and it doesn't leave.
> ...
> ...
> _Emory Dean Outlines Work Planned Under New Program;
> SPECIALIZATION IS AIM OF INSTITUTION _
> (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=855643332&SrchMode
=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=>
1143518505&clientId=
> 65882)
> The Atlanta Constitution (1881-2001). Atlanta, Ga.: Nov 4,
> 1928. p. 12A (1
> page)
> ...
> "We hope this will tend to relieve the usual sophomore slump
> now so common.
> ...
> ...
> _Southland Debs Hold Stanford Spotlight; Freshmen at Roble
> Keep Telephones Busy as Hopeful Swains Try for Dates _
> (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=1&did=410774641&SrchMode
=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&T
> S=1143518505&clientId=65882)
> Janette Grant. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los
> Angeles, Calif.:
> Jan 26, 1941. p. E7 (1 page)
> ...
> Although they still say that the sophomore slump is
> prevalent, some of the Row wome have lost their membership to
> the Friday and Saturday night society...
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



---------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls.  Great rates starting at 1¢/min.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org