"playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]

Wed Sep 8 22:21:27 UTC 2010

Here's an unusually clear example of the sense "feckless fellow who plays
about," essentially the same as my history teacher's usage fifteen or so
years later:

1945 Ernie Pyle _Last Chapter_ (N.Y.: Henry Holt, 1946) 80: Our weeks of
monotony and waiting were at an end. The daily briefings of the pilots
became more detailed. There was less playboyishness among the crew. Ordinary
ship's rules were changed to battle rules.

That's eight years before Hefner's _Playboy_ evidently began to alter the
nuance of the word.

JL

On Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 9:08 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Great work, John!  Wayne was certainly feckless, certainly not a womanizer.
> And Mr. Bowman thought we were far from serious in history class.
>
> Could it be that the modern, specifically womanizing sense of "playboy"
> owes more than we thought to Hefner's magazine (beginning 1953)?
>
> BTW, BE "player" in that nuance may owe something to "playing the field."
>
> JL
>
>  On Sun, Jul 18, 2010 at 11:21 PM, Baker, John M. <JMB at stradley.com>
> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Baker, John M." <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: "playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Sorry, I accidentally sent this while still typing.  My last paragraph =
> > was going to read:
> > =20
> > So, as used in these early Batman stories from 1941, "playboy" =
> > apparently means an individual who, because of personal wealth, is able =
> > to devote himself solely to recreation and need not work.  Julie =
> > Madison's use of the term seems particularly revealing:  She does not =
> > accuse Bruce Wayne of courting other women (though such an accusation =
> > would have been well-founded); she accuses him of being without a =
> > vocation
> > =20
> > =20
> > John Baker=20
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Baker, John M.
> > Sent: Sun 7/18/2010 11:14 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Re: "playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]
> >
> >
> >
> > I've now reviewed the early Batman stories from Detective Comics, which =
> > have been reprinted in The Batman Archives, volume one (1990).  Batman =
> > first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939).  Bruce Wayne there is
> =
> > called a "young socialite friend" of Police Commissioner Gordon.
> >
> > In 1940, Batman also started appearing in Batman Comics, which I do not =
> > have access to, so I cannot be certain that the first reference to Bruce
> =
> > Wayne as a "playboy" was in Detective Comics.  The first example that I =
> > have is from Detective Comics #47 (Jan. 1941).  There we see the =
> > following (reproduced verbatim, including ellipses, except that I have =
> > normalized capitalization, which in the original is in the all caps =
> > characteristic of comics):  "..In the morning, he steps from the doorway
> =
> > of his private home,... not as the eerie Batman.... but as the =
> > spendthrift, pleasure-loving society play boy..... Bruce Wayne!"
> >
> > In the story, Bruce Wayne is a frequent visitor to night spots, =
> > occasioning remarks that his chief occupation seems to be just running =
> > around the nightclubs (he is in reality working on a case).  Later in =
> > the same story is the passage, "Events have already shaped themselves so
> =
> > that Bruce Wayne may discard the role of idle playboy, and become the =
> > eerie Batman."  For whatever it is worth, note that "playboy" is now =
> > spelled as a single word.
> >
> > The term is used again in the following issue, Detective Comics #48 =
> > (Feb. 1941):  "Later that evening.... As Linda Lewis walks to the band =
> > platform, she stops for a word with a wealthy, society playboy named =
> > Bruce Wayne....."  Bruce asks Linda to go to a movie later, and she =
> > agrees.  Here Bruce Wayne is not working on a case (although his =
> > invitation leads to his involvement in one); he is simply at a nightclub
> =
> > on his own time and asks a singer (whom he knows socially - her father =
> > is wealthy) to go out with him later.  It is not mentioned in the story,
> =
> > but Bruce is engaged to another woman.
> >
> > A third use (or fourth, depending on how you are counting) comes in =
> > Detective Comics #49 (Mar. 1941).  Bruce Wayne's fiancee, Julie Madison,
> =
> > breaks off their engagement, telling him "Oh, Bruce, if only you would =
> > do something!  [new panel]  ... If only you'd find yourself a career =
> > instead of being the public's number one playboy!"  Bruce replies, =
> > "Sorry, honey, I'm having too good a time to be bothered with anything =
> > remotely connected with work!"  Meanwhile, he thinks to himselve, =
> > "(You'd be mighty surprised if you knew I had a career - as the =
> > Batman!)"  He does not seem to consider telling Julie his secret =
> > identity, though he apparently thinks this would let Julie marry him and
> =
> > he has already revealed it to one person, Dick Grayson (Robin).  Julie =
> > then replies, "Then I'm sorry, Bruce, until you decide to make something
> =
> > of yourself, I'm afraid our engagement is off!  [new panel]  I'm not =
> > walking out on you, Bruce.  Anytime you decide to change your ways, I'll
> =
> > come back to you gladly!"  He replies, "I understand!  It's all right!"
> >
> > So, as used in these early Batman stories from 1941, "playboy" =
> > apparently means an individual who, because of personal wealth, is able =
> > to devote himself solely to recreation and need not work.  Julie =
> > Madison's use of the term seems particularly revealing:=20
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Baker, John M.
> > Sent: Fri 7/16/2010 12:00 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Re: "playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >        In the initial story, from 1939, Bruce Wayne was described as a
> > "socialite."  I'll see if I can find when they started calling him a
> > "playboy"; it was not too far along.
> >
> >
> > John Baker
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
> > Of Jonathan Lighter
> > Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 7:39 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Re: "playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]
> >
> > I wouldn't think of ignoring BW.  Was he described as a "millionaire
> > playboy" from the beginning?  Or a "millionaire socialite"?  Or just a
> > "millionaire"?
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 7:06 PM, Baker, John M. <JMB at stradley.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       "Baker, John M." <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: "playboy" [Was: article on the name "America"]
> > >
> > >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > -------
> > >
> > >        I don't think you can ignore the influence of millionaire
> > > playboy Bruce Wayne, surely the most famous playboy of them all.  It's
> > > not always clear just what kind of "playing" Wayne does, but his
> > status
> > > as a playboy seems to include personal wealth; high society
> > connections;
> > > single status (i.e., neither married nor an exclusive relationship);
> > and
> > > a reputation for frivolity, including a perceived love of parties
> > > (though he often misses them or leaves suddenly) and lack of serious
> > > interests.  (This last is quite true:  Although Bruce Wayne, as
> > Batman,
> > > does take a deep interest in crime and justice, he largely ignores
> > > everything else, including his company, Wayne Enterprises.  Compare
> > Tony
> > > Stark, a thoroughly committed industrialist.)
> > >
> > >
> > > John Baker
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org =
> > <http://www.americandialect.org/>  <http://www.americandialect.org/>
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org =
> > <http://www.americandialect.org/>=20
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
>  ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org