fan-hitting (classified) (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mark Mandel]

Thank you, Bill. That's exactly what I meant, and all that I meant.

Mark Mandel


On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 6:05 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
<Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
>
> 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-----
> > Poster:       "Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
> > Subject:      Re: fan-hitting (classified) (UNCLASSIFIED)
> >
> > 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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