crazy/insane gradation (UNCLASSIFIED)

[victor steinbok]

The expression as you describe it used to be prevalent in New England,
particularly in the Boston area, which allowed SNL to mock it with
Adam Sandler repeatedly interjecting "Wik't Pissuh!" in several
sketches. I've lived mostly in the Boston area since 1983 (and and
off--spending 1-2 years in other parts of the country for several
stretches), and have heard "wicked" repeatedly (as in, "He's wick'd
sma:t"), but have not heard "wicked pisser" until 1995 (which was
after SNL). When I did live in other parts of the country AFTER 1995,
"wicked" was used by all ages <45, but I still suspect that New
England use is more prevalent.

There is also a difference between "It's wicked" and "It's wicked
good"--different degrees of the same thing (good being the lower
grade).

VS-)

On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 4:11 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
<Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
>
> I believe that Ron Weasley uses the term in this sense in the "Harry
> Potter" movies.
>
>
> 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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