"um-weird" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

But which came first -- the um-chicken, or the um-egg?

Seriously, doesn't a term have to be in use, and thus a bona fide
lexical unit, before it can be identified and called out as a new
construction?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf Of Jesse Sheidlower
> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 11:38 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: "um-weird" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
---------------
> --------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "um-weird" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> I don't think this is an antedating of the term _um-friend_
> itself. It's just an example of the construction from which it
> derives.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED
>
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 11:26:00AM -0500, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
> > Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> > Caveats: NONE
> >
> > Slight antedating:
> >
> > "Stargazing"
> > The Kansas City Star - Monday, March 6, 1995 p D1 (from Newsbank
> > database)
> >
> > "The last straw: Quinn, 80, fathered a daughter with his
much-younger
> > secretary 18 months ago. He's often seen with his, um, friend and
> their
> > child in public."  [re: actor Anthony Quinn]
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> > > Behalf Of Benjamin Zimmer
> > > Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 8:10 PM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > Subject: Re: "um-weird"
> > >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > ---------------
> > > --------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> > > Subject:      Re: "um-weird"
> > >
> >
---------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> > > --------
> > >
> > > On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 11:04 AM, Jesse Sheidlower
> <jester at panix.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 11:00:43AM -0400, Jonathan Lighter
wrote:
> > > > > Many years ago when the list was young someone began to refer
> to
> > > erotica as
> > > > > "um, literature."  E.g.: "The word maily shows up in certain
> sorts
> > > of, um,
> > > > > literature"
> > > > > Wilson may have been involved in this.
> > > >
> > > > I think the original was "um-friend", from "This is my, um,
> > > > friend," and IIRC this was well before Wilson's involvement in
> > > > the list (but I'm too lazy to search right now).
> > >
> > > First appearance that I'm aware of was in the May 1996 issue of
> > > _Wired_ (Jargon Watch):
> > >
> > > ---
> > > http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.05/jargon_watch.html
> > > Umfriend
> > > A sexual relationship of dubious standing. "This is Dale, my...
> um...
> > > friend."
> > > ---
> > >
> > >
> > > --Ben Zimmer
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> > Caveats: NONE
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org