assorted comments

[Laurence Horn]

At 3:25 PM -0400 4/5/07, Wilson Gray wrote:
>When I was a kid in the 'Forties in Saint Louis, I had a couple of (I
>prefer the ancient form) classmates in my segregated elementary school
>named "Major." In those days, During The War, the other kids seemed
>not to find this strange. In my own opinion, even though I was just a
>hick from the sticks, at the time, this was a name *way* cooler than
>"Wilson," which should have been "William," at least. It wasn't until
>1970 that I met, for the first and only time, another person forenamed
>"Wilson."
>
>During the 'Fifties, there was an R&B singer named "General Jones."
>Later, during the 'Sixties, there was the much-better-known Major
>Lance, whom others here may recall.

And, lest we forget, Joseph Heller's Major Major Major.

LH
>
>On 4/5/07, Margaret Lee <mlee303 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Margaret Lee <mlee303 at YAHOO.COM>
>>Subject:      Re: assorted comments
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>The first name of the principal of the school where I taught my
>>first year after college, was Commodore (late 1960's).
>>
>>   Margaret
>>
>>   Doug Harris <cats22 at FRONTIERNET.NET> wrote:
>>   Also... a parent of one of my wife's kindergarten kids in the Bronx a few
>>years ago gave her first born the first name 'Admiral'. Her second born was
>>named 'General'. I believe, but can't swear to it, that they were named
>>after specific officers. Admirable as was her intent, one has to imagine
>>that, in the general school population, both those kids have suffered no end
>>of ribbing.
>>(the other) doug
>>========================
>>
>>Don't feel bad, Dr. Gray. I just sent my boss an e-mail saying "here is my
>>report, a week early"---and forgot to attach the report.
>>
>>- Jim Landau
>>
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>
>
>--
>All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
>come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>-----
>                                                      -Sam'l Clemens
>
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