Bigamy with three wives

[David A. Daniel]

-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Joel S. Berson
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 12:59 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Bigamy with three wives

>Yesterday the Boston area RCN cable channel information described the
>1993 movie "The Man with Three Wives" as "Based on the true story of
>a bigamous physician."  Well, I suppose -- polygamy is two letters longer.


There's always trigamy - and that is only one letter longer.
DAD




The OED2's most recent use in this expanded sense (bigamy, n.,1.b.,
"loosely") is from 1635: J . Taylor (Water P.) Old Parr Dj, Each man
had many wives, which Bigamie, Was such increase to their Posterity.

But here is a
postdating:
http://watchingtheimages.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_archive.html.  "He
was also juggling three wives, Robyn (Pam Dawber), Katy (Joanna
Kerns), and Lillian (Kathleen Lloyd). The man made damn sure that
none of the women knew they were part of bigamy."

Joel
Who has imagined that when Mitt Romney is next asked for his views on
gay marriage, permitted in his former domain, he will reply that
according to his creed marriage is a sacred contract between one man
and several women.

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