Snasu (Situation normal: all screwed up) (1941 Aug 18) (early snafu variant)

[Jonathan Lighter]

>>old-fashioned "manual" research, particularly research by Barry Popik, can
still trump the databases.<<

Er.

Yes.

If you know what I mean.

JL

On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 7:16 AM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Snasu (Situation normal: all screwed up) (1941 Aug 18)
> (early
>              snafu variant)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Jesse,
>
> Thanks for the correction on the date.
>
> This shows that old-fashioned "manual" research, particularly research by
> Barry Popik, can still trump the databases.  Barry used the Library of
> Congress California newspaper index, apparently looking for articles on
> slang, to find this.
>
> Fred
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jesse
> Sheidlower [jester at PANIX.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 6:53 AM
>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Snasu (Situation normal: all screwed up) (1941 Aug 18) (early
>              snafu variant)
>
> It's June 15, not July 15.
>
> According to my records, I actually got this from Barry, who
> posted it on ADS-L back in 2002:
>
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0211E&L=ADS-L&P=R2
>
> As so often, Barry's the one deserving the credit.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED
>
> On Tue, Dec 08, 2009 at 06:37:18AM -0500, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
> > OK, I figured it out.  The July 15, 1941 _snafu_ citation is in the
> recently published 3rd edition of Jesse Sheidlower's masterwork, _The F
> Word_.  Presumably it was found through a ProQuest search.
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________________
> > From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Garson O'Toole [adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM]
> > Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 11:52 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Snasu (Situation normal: all screwed up) (1941 Aug 18)
> (early              snafu variant)
> >
> > Fred Shapiro wrote:
> > > Note that I found a July 27, 1941 citation for _snafu_ in the Kansas
> City Star,
> > > then someone else (I forget who!) found a July 15, 1941 citation in the
> San
> > > Francisco Chronicle.
> > >
> > > Fred Shapiro
> >
> > The July 27, 1941 citation you found is grand and fun to read. Thanks.
> > I apologize for missing it in the ADS list archive when I checked.
> > There were quite a few hits for Snafu. However, the search term "snafu
> > antedating" does locate your posting.
> >
> > http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0608D&L=ADS-L&P=R2709
> >
> > I am still having trouble locating a mention of the July 15, 1941
> > citation in the ADS list archive. A search at Barry Popik's website
> > failed. Wikipedia has the OED cite. In any case, congratulations to
> > that discoverer.
> >
> > Garson
> >
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