Significant Antedating for "beaver" and "bearded clam" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Joel S. Berson]

At 12/3/2008 03:12 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>Just in case there was any doubt, I'm aware that the "original" article
>is a parody.  I just thought it was funny, and tried to extend the joke
>by submitting what obviously isn't an antedating . . .

I didn't think it was quite as funny (or as genuine-appearing) as I
think they were hoping -- but then again, I'm beginning to think of
myself as an expert -- or perhaps it's just as a curmudgeon -- on
colonial American newspapers.

Joel


> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: American Dialect Society
> > [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Sam Clements
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 10:08 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Significant Antedating for "beaver" and "bearded clam"
> >
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: Significant Antedating for "beaver" and
> > "bearded clam"
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > -----------------
> >
> > Am I the only one that knows the "Onion" is a satirical
> > newspaper on the internet the last 5 years or so?
> >
> > Sam Clements
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 22:54
> > Subject: Re: Significant Antedating for "beaver" and "bearded clam"
> >
> >
> > > This can't be genuine -- John Jacob Aster did not arrive in America
> > > until March 1784  [Wikipedia]. Apparently I didn't note
> > that fact when
> > > I submitted my antedating of "burger" (OED has it only from
> > > 1939) which is in the same issue [see ADS-L archives, 11 Oct. 2008].
> > >
> > > And by the way, any submission needs to be dated "circa 6 October,
> > > 1783" -- that's all the masthead says.
> > >
> > > Joel
> > >
> > > P.S.  For those really, really interested, I can provide a short,
> > > selective, somewhat random criticism that concludes that
> > the editors
> > > of _The Onion_ did not do a very convincing job of emulating an
> > > 18th-century newspaper.
> > >
> > > JSB
> > >
> > >
> > > At 12/2/2008 05:54 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
> > >>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> > >>Caveats: NONE
> > >>
> > >>OED has 1927 for this sense (female genitalia) of beaver,
> > and does not
> > >>list "bearded clam"
> > >>
> > >>"John Jacob Astor Out Looking for Beaver"  _The Onion_
> > October 6, 1783
> > >>p. 2 col 5
> > >>
> > >>"Should the enterprising GERMAN, by the Smile of good
> > Fortune, reach
> > >>the fertile back woods of New Hampshire, it is likely he
> > may find him
> > >>self secured to his very PUPILS in Beaver, and, we hasten to note,
> > >>only good Beaver at that, and None of this foul Skunk Pelt seen in
> > >>those parts of late. . . . He takes only a Brief Respite in
> > the month
> > >>of August, when the New Found-land Territories open season
> > on the Wild Bearded Clam."
> > >>
> > >>http://www.theonion.com/content/news/historical_archives_john_jacob
> > >>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> > >>Caveats: NONE
> > >>
> > >>------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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