I've bitten off more than I can eschew

[Sam Clements]

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0212A&L=ADS-L&P=R904&I=-3

That would be a link to a 1973 cite for "sound bite."  Yes, the archive is
searchable.

Sam Clements
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rex W. Stocklin" <listcatcher at REXSTOCKLIN.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 19:40
Subject: I've bitten off more than I can eschew


> Help!
>
> My wife, a marketing researcher, is in a bit of a quandary. She is
> writing a summary report for a client, who is a stickler for
> grammatical correctness.
>
> She asked me to help take a load off of her plate, by trying to find
> out what the correct spelling of the term for an audio snippet in
> vogue. Is it:
>
> soundbyte
> soundbite
> sound bite
> or sound byte
>
>
>
> I've gleaned, I think, that it is an "I" not a "Y", which would make
> it an infinitely more clever turn of phrase, and, of course, allows
> for audio outside the cyber realm, n'est-ce pas? But...is it one one
> or two? For the life of me, I cannot source any references that cite
> this usage issue.
>
> I've asked a number of my so-called literate friends, whom I thought
> might have the right stuff, but all they managed to do was assail me
> with dozens of citations to Wikipedia. Gakk! I'd like JUSTTT a bit
> more authority than that dubious core dump.
>
> I figured, one of the Keepers of Words could enlighten me.
>
> And to this end, is there a list archive, where this topic might have
> been broached already? If so, is it searchable?
>
>
> Thanx for the bandwidth, pardon my frequency,
> Rex Stocklin,
> Fishers, IN
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org