MSM. was Re: TMI

[Baker, John]

        The earliest I see is from the Jefferson City Post-Tribune,
2/14/1969, which I assume is not the origin.  There are a few other
examples from 1969, and then it seems to have achieved wider popularity
the following year.

        It always seemed an odd usage to me.  Is Attila the Hun
conservative because he was, presumably, authoritarian?  (I doubt if he
was any more authoritarian than many other rulers of his period, but
historical accuracy isn't the point of this kind of saying.)  But "to
the right of Stalin," to use another example of a notoriously
authoritarian leader, does not flow trippingly off the tongue.


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Herb Stahlke
Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:26 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: MSM. was Re: TMI

So what's the origin of "right/left of Attila"?

Herb

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