crazy/insane gradation

[Jonathan Lighter]

The adv. "wicked" has become pretty iconic teen lingo in the last decade or
so, associated especially with the Boston area.

JL

On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 3:36 PM, Alison Murie <sagehen7470 at att.net> wrote:

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> Poster:       Alison Murie <sagehen7470 at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: crazy/insane gradation
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> On Mar 9, 2010, at 3:15 PM, Robin Hamilton wrote:
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> > Poster:       Robin Hamilton <robin.hamilton2 at BTINTERNET.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: crazy/insane gradation
> >
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> >
>  >> 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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