"Not so much" and Mad About You (1992-1999)

Tue Feb 13 01:43:10 UTC 2007

I'm seeing "not so much" everywhere. In an October 2006 article on the  
phrase, someone from the Austin American-Statesman was quoted, and Grant Barrett  
was quoted also. In today's Austin America-Statesman, Texans for Affordable and 
 Reliable Power (TARP) states: "Cartoons are funny. Saying no to everything? 
Not  so much."
...
A recent "A Way With Words" was about "not so much." Did Grant credit Buffy  
with the first use of the phrase?
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"Mad About You" first aired in 1992 and used "not so much" almost from the  
start (see below). "Friends" first aired in 1994. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"  
first aired in 1997. Jon Stewart began regularly hosting "The Daily Show" in  
1999.
...
Why do people insist on giving credit to Buffy or Jon Stewart?
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_http://www.kpbs.org/words/_ (http://www.kpbs.org/words/) 
Not So Much?"
Feb 03, 2007
Hear the slang phrase “not so much” much? It may be older than you think.  
Also, Martha and Grant mix it up over whether it’s pronounced “ornery” or  “
onery.” And they’ll puzzle over a capital quiz about -- what else? -- state  
capitals.  
... 
... 
... 
(SerenityMovie.net) 

(http://209.85.165.104/viewtopic.php?p=26480&sid=3e6d7b04eae7eaa818b1e19d0abe53e5#26480) Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007  9:10 am    Post subject: Catchphrase  
"Not so much"  discussed on "A Way  
(http://209.85.165.104/posting.php?mode=quote&p=26480&sid=3e6d7b04eae7eaa818b1e19d0abe53e5)     
____________________________________
   Host Grant Barrett credited  the series: Buffy with the first use of the 
phrase, "Not so much."  

I, of course, remember it best from the flashback to the  acquisition of 
Serenity in "Out of Gas" where Captain Reynolds admits to  Zoe that the ship is 
not flyable now. 

Here is a link to the  podcast. It is discussed at the very start of the 
'cast. 
_http://www.kpbs.org/radio/a_way_with_words?id=7249_ 
(http://www.kpbs.org/radio/a_way_with_words?id=7249)    
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_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends) 

Friends was a popular long-running American _sitcom_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitcom)  about a group  of six friends living in the _Manhattan_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan)  borough of _New York  City_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City) . It was created by _David Crane_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Crane_(television))   and _Marta Kauffman_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marta_Kauffman)  and was  originally broadcast from _1994_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_in_television)  to _2004_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_in_television) .  
... 
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_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer) 
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an _American_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States)  _cult_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_television)  _television 
series_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_series)  that  aired from 
_March 10_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_10) , _1997_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997) , until _May 20_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_20) , _2003_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003) .       
...
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_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Stewart_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Stewart) 
Stewart began hosting _The Daily Show_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Show)  on _Comedy  Central_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedy_Central)  
in early _1999_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999) . 
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_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_About_You_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_About_You) 
Mad About You was an _American_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States)  
_sitcom_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitcom)  that aired on _NBC_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC)  from _September 23_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_23) , _1992_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992)  to _May 24_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_24) , _1999_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999) . 
It is being released on _DVD_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD)  and 
_syndicated_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_syndication)  for  reruns on 
_Oxygen Network_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_Network)  and _Nick at  
Nite_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_at_Nite)  in the U.S. and on other 
stations across the globe.
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_http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/mad-about-you/faq/part5/_ 
(http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/mad-about-you/faq/part5/) 
Frequently Asked Questions list (5/9)  for
"Mad About You"  and  the
Usenet newsgroup alt.tv.mad-about-you

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Last-modified: 97-01-30
Version: 5.1

(...)

  - ".. not so  much .."

Usually used a lot to indicate his  unwillingness, in the
not-liking or not-wanting-to  department [1.2, 1.6, 1.14,
1.20, 2.12, 3.4, 3.8, 3.10],  another habit from early
childhood  [5.5].

This expression too has crossed over to Jamie  [3.8], and even
to Helen Hunt (on "The Late Show with  David Letterman,"
November 23,  1994).

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