Boink, boinking (evidence for Moonlighting 1985 March 19)

Garson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Tue Oct 12 04:34:08 UTC 2010


Jonathan Lighter wrote
>
> I believe that "boink" was introduced on _Moonlighting_ rather than cheers.
>
> FWIW, I doubt that it's the sort of word that would ever be spontaneously
> reinvented for sexual purposes.  One of those rappers must have known
> somebody who'd been watching the show.

HDAS has a first cite in 1987 that says "Popularized by the TV show
Moonlighting".

OED (June 2008) has boink and boinking with sexual interpretations and
first cites in 1986.

Evidence online suggests that an episode of Moonlighting aired 1985
March 19 contains boink and boinking. A document at the website
davidandmaddie.com purports to be the script of an episode of titled
"The Next Murder You Hear". It contains many instances of "boink"
(plus bonus instances of boinking and even boinkety). A discussant at
straightdope.com claims this is the first episode containing the term
boink in Moonlighting.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=168113
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0651094/

IMDB says this is a first season episode, the fourth of 66 episodes.
It was first aired 19 March 1985 (USA). In the IMDB numbering system
the pilot is episode one.
Here are some excerpts from a supposed transcription:

www.davidandmaddie.com/td/TD_1.4.pdf

Maddie:  Given the amoral way he lived his life, his violent death
comes as no surprise to me.
David:  You’re mad because he boinked a couple of hausfraus?
Maddie cannot believe what she has just heard.
Maddie:  I’m not having this conversation.  We’re not taking this case.

David:  No, no, no, no, no, no.  You’re repressed or obsessed or one
of those “essed”
words.  Every time something comes up that involves men or sex or…uh
(searching for the word)
Maddie:  Boinking?  Is that the word you’re looking for?
David:  See what I mean.  That’s not normal.
Maddie:  I’m supposed to sit here and discuss my mental health with a
man who refers to the act of human procreation as “boinking”.
David:  See, see what I mean?  Right away…you get all stiff and tense.

David:  Ah, c’mon.  It’s not a school night.  There’s all kinds of
great things going on out there. Can’t you hear them?
Maddie:  Hear them?
David:  Sure.  Boink.  Boink boink.  Boinkety boink boink.  Boink
boink boink boinkety boink.

I have not verified the script by watching the episode.

Cheers began in 1982. Some websites list Cheers and the earlier TV
series Soap as a possible origins for boink (with a carnal
interpretation). No specific citations are given.

http://dictionary.die.net/boink

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