fan-hitting (classified) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

I think Mark only meant that it is certainly appropriate that "feghoot"
is in _Brave New Words_, since the word has SF origins -- not that it
shouldn't be anywhere else.

I've only seen it used in SF contexts or in places which almost
self-consciously refer to its SF origins (such as this list, and the
sole cite that ProQuest Hist Newspapers offers).  You have to get all
the way to the 49th cite from Google Books of "feghoot" before you find
one that isn't clearly SF related (and it's a snippet view, so maybe it
is as well).  If it has usage beyond SF, no doubt the OED and other
dictionaries will pick it up.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Arnold M. Zwicky
> Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 4:00 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: fan-hitting (classified) (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: fan-hitting (classified) (UNCLASSIFIED)
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> On Oct 14, 2008, at 1:34 PM, Mark Mandel wrote:
>
> > As it should be, since "feghoot" comes from sf.
> >
> > m a m
> >
> > On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 1:04 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC <
> > Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
> >
> >> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> >> Caveats: NONE
> >>
> >>
> >>> "feghoot" is not yet in the OED.  should it be?
> >>>
> >>
> >> But it is in _Brave New Words:  The Oxford Dictionary of Science
> >> Fiction_ by Jeff Prucher.
>
> so it *comes from* sf,  does this determine how it can/must
> be used now?  surely you don't want to maintain such a position.
>
> i have no stake in any of this, but if "feghoot" must be
> limited to sf contexts, then how do we talk about these
> punning/spoonerizing final lines to jokes, many of which have
> nothing to do with sf? and some of which predate the Feghoot stories?
>
> yes, i understand,. they're all just shaggy dog stories.
> there's no difference.
>
> arnold
>
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>
Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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