Not a teddy bear

[Jonathan Lighter]

This resembles the putative distinction between a pail and bucket.
I'm with Barbara. However, the stiffer sort of bear is for me the norm.  Not
that I've ever thought of this question before, I'd unhestitatingly refer to
a child's mushy, plushy bear as a "teddy bear," but would probably think,
"They don't make 'em like they used to."

Note to semanticists: the same goes for an adult's stuffed bear.


JL
On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 8:26 AM, Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Not a teddy bear
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To me, a teddy bear is relatively stiff, with arms
> outstretched, and having darkish brown fur. If it is a very
> soft plush bear, like a Gund, I would consider it a stuffed
> bear, but not a teddy bear.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> OED
>
> On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 07:18:58AM -0400, Barbara Need wrote:
> > Can you elaborate? Clearly I have a fairly broad understanding of what
> > fits in the category of teddy bear!
> >
> > Barbara
> >
> > On 13 Sep 2010, at 6:49 AM, Jesse Sheidlower wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 06:42:52AM -0400, Barbara Need wrote:
> >>> From a Freecycle posting for stuffed animals:
> >>>
> >>> "small brown bear (not a teddy bear, a plush bear)"
> >>>
> >>> What is a stuffed bear if not a teddy bear?
> >>
> >> A teddy bear is a pretty specific kind of stuffed bear, in my
> >> idiolect at least. A soft, floppy, plush bear would not be a
> >> teddy bear to me.
> >>
> >> Jesse Sheidlower
> >> OED
> >
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