Tribute to Barry Popik for his research on food terminology (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Barry A. Popik]

In a message dated 1/30/2008 10:47:22 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL writes:

Four and  a half hours later, Barry Popik made a post to Zimmer, Lighter,
Shapiro,  myself and several others in which he referred to these three
as  "despicable," and "complete assholes" and he said the ADS treats him
like  "a piece of shit".  His biggest beef was that rather than sending
the  info on an antedating to the ADS, the post should have been sent
directly  to him.  Apparently anyone who posts to the ADS-L should
realize that  "Big Apple" belongs to Barry, and he is the central
clearing house for any  research done on it.  It was a paranoid rant --
Barry seemed to  believe that the three named above were actively
withholding information  from him, because he doesn't "check ADS-L
anymore".  Information  circulated for four and a half hours; this is a
conspiracy against  Barry.


...
Bill, people are peeing on my leg and telling me it's raining.
...
I specifically asked for "Big Apple" information on the ProQuest black
newspaper databases that I did not have access to. I ASKED FOR THIS INFORMATION!
SEND IT TO ME!
...
I don't write to ADS-L. Jesse Sheidlower, Ben Zimmer, and Fred Shapiro know
that I don't write to ADS-L. Maybe I'm still subscribed. Maybe I'm not still
subscribed. They don't know. They have my e-mail. What the hell, let's post
the  information Popik asked for in a place that he left in disgrace.
...
And, for "ego purposes," let's decide who found it on the database  "first."
...
It's worse than "sandbagging."
...
I wouldn't do that to any of you.
...
Ron says: "What he seems not to understand is how the process works: people
will not always agree with him. (...) Normal scholars just ignore the scoffers
 and go on about their business."
...
Yes, but the disagreements here are about what I do (food postings), not
what I say (the etymologies of the food terms). Ron Butters had said (and
implied) many times that food postings are beneath the ADS-L. I just did a  post on
my website for "chimichurri." It's an important food word--over 500,000
Google hits--with an interesting etymology, and it should have been in the OED
long ago. But what am I to do, just post the "important ones" here? Is
"chimichurri" any more important than "bolillo" (amazingly, not in OED and  HDAS)?
...
I don't have time to fight over each post. My wife is six months'
pregnant--I'm not going to argue how "tortilla soup" is etymologically very  different
from "thick soup" and "thin soup," as wonderful as that may be to  do.
...
I will not contribute to ADS-L any more.
...
I am signing off ADS-L, as of today.
...
I regret that I just renewed my ADS membership for three years. My baby
could use the money more than ADS--can I please get a  refund?



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