crazy/insane gradation

[Alison Murie]

On Mar 9, 2010, at 3:15 PM, Robin Hamilton wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Robin Hamilton <robin.hamilton2 at BTINTERNET.COM>
> Subject:      Re: crazy/insane gradation
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>> Aren't _galluses_ suspenders? If so, the semantic connection is
>> transparent.
>>
>> -Wilson
>
> An idependent derivation, I'd guess -- "gallows" (frequently found
> in the
> combination "gallows whore") dates from 18thC (I'd have to check)
> and is
> definitely an adjective, derived from your actual gallows, and
> taking up the
> semantic area in cant/slang once occupied (though there is an
> overlap in the
> periods when the two words are used) by "rum" (which goes way back
> to Harman
> in 1568).
>
> In Glasgow (in the "gallus" pronunciation variant) it means
> "excellent",
> "adept", "clever" -- that range of meanings.  The "gallus" variant
> seems to
> be specific to Scotland and America.
>
> "galluses" (always used in the plural?) for suspenders *may be
> derived from
> the hanging gallows directly, or may have emerged from the adjective
> "gallus".
>
> Will now do the obvious, and look up HDAS to see what's said there.
> (Fortunately I still have my copy of the relevant Vol. 1 here,
> although I
> had to leave Volume 2 behind me when I recently departed America.)
>
> (Excerpted)
>
> GALLOWS  See _gallus_
>
> GALLUS _adj._ [colloquial pronunciation of obselete _gallows_ 'fit
> for the
> gallows, wicked'] 1. splendid, attractive.  Also adverb. Also GALLOWS.
>
>        Jon's first cite is from Parker's _Life's Painter_ in *1789,
> "...
> gallows fun and joking".
>
> I could probably antedate that, as I'm pretty sure it crops up in
> broadside
> ballads from earlier in the eighteenth century, but broadsides are
> the very
> devil to date.
>
> GALLUS  _adv._  exceedingly, very, awful.  _Rare_ in US.  Also
> GALLOWS.
>
> First cite  1805 _Port Folio_
>
> No GALLUSES.
>
> Robin
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
This calls to mind an expression heard frequently among the young (and
older natives of the area)in far northern New York,  where we lived
from the mid '70s till '08.  "Wicked" was often used as an
intensifier   or to signify something admirable.  I can't remember
ever hearing it anywhere else.
AM

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