Celebrinerd (2006)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of James Callan
> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 5:25 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Celebrinerd (2006)
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       James Callan <james.callan at COMCAST.NET>
> Subject:      Celebrinerd (2006)
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> Ken Jennings was described in Time Magazine as a celebrinerd,
> which he mentioned in his blog on Sept. 18:
>
> My favorite part of Grossman's review: he calls me a
> "celebrinerd." This is in line with the Time-honored
> tradition of inventing stupid mash-up words and hoping they
> catch on. When Time turned 75, the magazine actually ran an
> article about this annoying editorial tic. They claim to have
> coined "guesstimate" and "televangelist" and popularized
> "smog," but their list of failed portmanteaus is much, much
> longer. My favorites include "cinemoppet," "nudancer,"
> "sexational," "twinsult," and "politricks."

>From http://www.time.com/time/time75/magazine/miscellany.html

"TIME COINAGES THAT CAUGHT ON:
socialite
guesstimate
World War II
male chauvinist
op art
televangelist"

Socialite:  OED has 1928 Time 31 Dec. 30/3

"Conduct and Common Sense"  By ANNE SINGLETON The Washington Post; Jan
8, 1929; pg. 14
"Gradually, the idea that this was an easy way of inviting people began
to spread through the country and all the "near socialites" adopted I
for all the wrong occasions."

guesstimate: OED has 1936 N.Y. Times 22 Dec., [earliest cite from Time
archive online is Aug. 21, 1939]

[no title, no author] Chicago Daily Tribune; Apr 15, 1904; pg. 6 col 3.
" "All the same,' declares the Troy (N.Y.) Times, "the census estimate
is undoubtedly more reliable than Chicago guesswork."  Out here it is
considered merely a census guesstimate."

World War II
OED has:  1939 Time 11 Sept. 38/1


"War Machines" _Time_ Jun 12, 1939
"In World War II it is possible that even nations who do not take sides
may play a vital military part, for they may be invaded."

"Country Fellow, Seeking To Keep U.S. Out of War, Says, 'Let's Vote on
It' " by Cal Tinney
Utah | Ogden City | Ogden Standard-Examiner, The | 1939-04-04 p. 4-A col
1.
"You've heard of Louis from his war referendum idea. He wants before we
start scrapping in the World war II we shall first all go to the voting
booths and have our temperature taken to see if we are really het up
enough to fight."

male chauvinist

OED has:  1940 J. MITCHELL Old House at Home in New Yorker 13 Apr. 23/3
Time archive online has: Aug. 17, 1970

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