Another take on Jeep.

[Jonathan Lighter]

On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 10:55 AM, David Barnhart <dbarnhart at highlands.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       David Barnhart <dbarnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
> Subject:      Another take on Jeep.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> In the _Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology_ (c. 1988) the following appears
> (I've truncated some of the already discussed speculations):
>
>
>
> ".probably coined from the initials _G.P._ . may have been influenced by
> the
> name 'Eugene the Jeep' . It has also been claimed that the term is a
> reduction of 'Jeepers creepers!' the exclamation of Major General George
> Lynch, chief of infantry of the U.S. Army, on the occasion of his first
> ride
> in the prototype of the vehicle at Fort Myer, Virginia in 1939, and adopted
> at the time by Charles H. Payne, the designer of the vehicle."
>
>
>
> My recollection of this latter speculation is based upon my father's
> telling
> of the story that he received (perhaps in the late 1940's or -50's) a
> Christmas card from the driver of the vehicle at that test in Fort Myer,
> which relayed that "Lynch" story.   Incidentally, The term _jeep_ did not
> appear in the 1944 edition of the _Dictionary of United States Army Terms_
> (TM 20-205) for which Clarence Barnhart was the editor-in-chief.  CLB felt
> strongly enough about the "Lynch" connection that is was the first
> etymology
> given in the _World Book Dictionary_ (c. 1984, the earliest edition I have
> at hand today).
>
>
>
> More later as I find information on this.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> David
>
>
>
> Barnhart at highlands.com
>
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