Fwd: Re: Popsicle

[Damien Hall]

>From Wilson.

Damien

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2010 16:56:17 -0400
Subject: Re: Popsicle
To: djh514 at york.ac.uk

FWIW, I've always imagined it to be a blend of _(soda)pop(-like)
[i]cicle_. Since I came up with this around the age of six, if others
find it unlikely, I won't be at all surprised. Were there Creamcicles
elsewhere than in Saint Louis?

-Wilson

On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 3:33 PM, Damien Hall <djh514 at york.ac.uk> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Damien Hall <djh514 at YORK.AC.UK>
> Subject:      Popsicle
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> My first Twitter-inspired ADSL query: the origins of _popsicle_ (which I
> now learn is a trademarked name).
>
> One of the people I follow mentions the story that the word comes from the
> inventor's children, who called it "Pop's sicle"; the inventor, Frank
> Epperson, had apparently called it an _epsicle_, presumably a blend of
>
> <ep>(-person) + (i-)<sicle>.
>
> OED is 'uncertain', saying it's possibly
>
> (lolli-)<pop> + (i-)<sicle>
>
> (the usual BrE name for these things is 'ice lolly', presumably an
> abbreviation of 'lollipop')
>
> The online version of MW that I have access to says nothing about the
> possible etymology, nor does Barry Popik's website. As I don't know about
> food etymology, but 'I know a man who does', I'm copying Barry in here
> (with the address he used when he was a member of the list) in case he has
> any comments; anyone else? The "Pop's sicle" story seems to me possible but
> unlikely, as too convenient!
>
> Damien
>
> --
> Damien Hall
>
> University of York
> Department of Language and Linguistic Science
> Heslington
> YORK
> YO10 5DD
> UK
>
> Tel. (office) +44 (0)1904 432665
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>
> http://www.york.ac.uk/res/aiseb
>
> http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/lang/people/pages/hall.htm
>
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--
-Wilson
---
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"--a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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