Early "wimp"

[Jonathan Lighter]

How'd I miss that?

  JL

Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Charles Doyle
Subject: Re: Early "wimp"
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Worth noting that OED gives "wimpish little men in spectacles" from Sinclair Lewis's _Arrowsmith_, 1925.

Searchers should be aware of "whimp" as an occasional spelling--whether or not it indicates an hful pronunciation.

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:42:39 -0700
>From: Jonathan Lighter
>Subject: Early "wimp"
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>
>George Ade used "wimp" in the '20s, a uniquely early ex. Here's one that comes as the nickname of the milquetoast character "Wallace Wimple" on the very popular _Fibber McGee and Molly_ radio show:
>
> 1942 _Fibber McGee & Molly_ (Apr. 7) [modern transcript here: www.genericradio.com/images/Fibber_Scrap_Drive.pdf ]: Wimple: ...I went down this morning and tried to join the Marines. Sweety-face [his wife] went with me to give her consent. Fibber: Did they take you, Wimp? ... You mean Sweety-face is in the Marines now, Wimp? ... Go see Doc Coddem, Wimp. ... Naw, we're all finished, Wimp. [Etc.]
>
> I don't know if the name "Wimp" was broadcast before this episode.
>
> Interestingly enough, HDAS's next ex. of "wimp" comes from an account of the Marines on Guadalcanal published in 1943. The word is very rare in print before the mid '60's.
>
> Wallace Wimple's voice is more or less identical to that of absurdly retiring and incompetent males in Merrie Melodies cartoons.
>
> JL

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