Antedating of "Yada Yada"

[Wilson Gray]

As I recall, it was pronounced ['ya T at T@  'ya T at T@]. It was popular on
such radio shows as those of Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Red Skelton, and
Bob Hope.

-Wilson

On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 5:27 PM, Baker, John <JMB at stradley.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Antedating of "Yada Yada"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>        However, it appears that Saroyan's Jim Dandy actually dates from
> 1941 and was republished (rewritten?) in 1947, so if the phrase appears
> in the 1941 version, that would be distinctly earlier.  That's assuming,
> of course, that people accept "yatata" as the same as "yada."
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of Baker, John
> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 5:10 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Yada Yada"
>
>        I believe that "Yatata Yatata Yatata" was one of the songs in
> the 1947 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Allegro.  The lyrics, under the
> title "Cocktail Party," seem to be at
> http://www.thepeaches.com/music/composers/hammerstein/CocktailParty.htm.
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> Of Benjamin Zimmer
> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 4:24 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Yada Yada"
>
>
> And earlier still is "yatata yatata yatata" in William Saroyan's 1947
> play "Jim
> Dandy: Fat Man in a Famine", cited in _Dictionary of American Slang_ and
> this Slate article: <http://www.slate.com/id/3167/>.
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>
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 -Sam'l Clemens

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