crazy/insane gradation (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

At 4:44 PM -0500 3/9/10, victor steinbok wrote:
>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.
>
L.L. Bean (from Freeport, Maine) exploits it in their ads for "Wicked
Good Moccasins/Slippers/Boots".  West Coasters can think of it as the
down-east version of "hella".

LH

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