Jeep species, bat Genus?

Wed Sep 22 15:43:56 UTC 2010

Not a bad guess. There are a handful RGs for the phrase "Don't be a wombat."

JL

On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 11:24 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Jeep species, bat Genus?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 9/22/2010 09:54 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >Nice work, Dave.
> >
> >The 1938 application of "jeep wagon" to a tank is especially germane -
> >though in what way precisely is unclear. Cf. the quoted use of "wombat"
> >(also unique) with that of "jeep":  both are interpretable as exotic, even
> >mysterious, animals with appropriately bizarre names.
>
> Any relation to dingbats?
>
> Joel
>
>
> >Real wombats must have been far more exotic in '30s America than today
> when,
> >I suspect, most Americans still have no idea what a wombat is. (Appropos
> >perhaps is a friend who applies the word to nitwits. I first heard him do
> so
> >in the early '80s but have never heard it from anyone else.)
> >
> >JL
> >
> >
> >
> >On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Dave Wilton <dave at WILTON.NET>
> > > Subject:      Re: Jeep Bibliography -- (information from Jonathan
> Lighter)
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I did this summary some years back:
> > > http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/more/372/
> > >
> > > It contains some early cites of military use that are not in reference
> to
> > > the 1/4 ton truck.
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf
> > > Of
> > > Jonathan Lighter
> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 9:15 AM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > Subject: Re: Jeep Bibliography -- (information from Jonathan Lighter)
> > >
> > > The auto address feature of Gmail impishly sent this to Michael 30
> secs.
> > > ago, but I meant it for everyone:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Michael's treatment is probably the best summary I've seen.  The
> quotation
> > > from Liberman is applicable to more than just etymology. (Try the JFK
> > > assassination, for example.)
> > >
> > > Some minor comments:  though the jeep was officially (and hence
> inevitably)
> > > decribed
> > > as a "1/4-ton" vehicle, the quarter-ton refers not to its weight, as
> any
> > > ordinarily intelligent person would assume, but to its "payload," the
> > > weight
> > > it could carry in addition to the driver and passengers. (The actual
> weight
> > > of the "1/4-ton truck" was over 2,000 lbs.)  The same principle goes
> for
> > > the
> > > "1/2-ton" command car, also called a "jeep" but otherwise a different
> > > design.  Needless to say, whether the larger car received the nickname
> > > before or after the smaller and more famous may not be determinable -
> > > presumably after, but only presumably.
> > >
> > > The initials "GP" were indeed used during WWII by the Army (and
> probably
> > > the
> > > other services) to abbrev. "general purpose," but in my experience this
> > > initialism was applied only to aerial bombs and never, in ordinary
> usage,
> > > to
> > > the jeep. In fact, the application of "GP" to bombs seems to have been
> > > almost universal among bomber crews in the AAF; thus, unshakable faith
> in
> > > "GP" as the etymology of "jeep" may have originated there.
> > >
> > > Except for some people at Ford, virtually no one would have cared about
> the
> > > company's cryptic "GP" designation of the vehicle; mechanics would
> > > certainly
> > > have seen (though not necessarily thought about) the designation which
> was
> > > embossed (though not explained), along with far more interesting and
> > > important specs, on the metal specification plate affixed to the
> dashboard.
> > >
> > >
> > > Also, I suspect that the early figurative uses of "jeep" took two
> paths.
> > > One
> > > (as applied to people) was disparaging, comparing them to a weird
> little
> > > animal. The other, applied to material objects was chiefly that of
> novelty.
> > > (Cf. _whatchamacallit_.)  This seems logical because the gist of the
> > > originating Popeye cartoons was that the meaning of the word "jeep" was
> a
> > > complete mystery. The next implied riddle was the nature of the Jeep
> > > himself.  What exactly was he?  There was no real explanation beyond
> > > "magic."
> > >
> > > I fantasize the arrival, for testing, of the prototype vehicle in a big
> > > crate.  Somebody says, "What's in the box?" Somebody else says, "The
> Jeep."
> > >
> > > (The fantasy works, mutatis mutandis, for arrival under a tarp as
> well.)
> > >
> > > On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 10:39 PM, Gerald Cohen <gcohen at mst.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       Gerald Cohen <gcohen at MST.EDU>
> > > > Subject:      Re: Jeep Bibliography -- (information from Jonathan
> > > Lighter)
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > ---
> > > >
> > > > It seems clear that a comprehensive treatment of =B3jeep=B2 might be
> in
> > > > order,
> > > > and as a very
> > > > preliminary step towards this goal I now forward an exchange of
> e-mails I
> > > > had
> > > > today with Jonathan Lighter (in reverse chronological order).  My
> thanks
> > > to
> > > > Jonathan for his helpfulness in this.
> > > >
> > > > Gerald Cohen
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > > Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:56 -0400
> > > > To: "Cohen, Gerald Leonard" <gcohen at mst.edu>
> > > > Subject: Re: Jeep Bibliography
> > > >
> > > > Posting to the list=A0would be fine.
> > > > =A0
> > > > I'm sure Mencken=A0offers a brief=A0discussion, though if it were
> > > > significant
> > > > I'd have cited it.
> > > > =A0
> > > > Many of the HDAS cites will seem gratuitous to some, but I think they
> all
> > > > contribute something tangible to the entire picture.
> > > > =A0
> > > > I also suggest in the ety. note in HDAS that the cartoon Jeep's
> > > > inarticulat=
> > > > e
> > > > cry of "Jeep! Jeep!" may have been sugg. by the "Cheep! Cheep!"=A0of
> > > > cartoon
> > > > birds.=A0Just a guess, of course.
> > > > =A0
> > > > Jon
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 11:47 AM, Cohen, Gerald Leonard <
> gcohen at mst.edu>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >=20
> > > > > =A0 Thanks, Jon. I'd like to share your message below with the
> other
> > > > ads-l
> > > > > members; I'm sure at least several will be interested in it.
> =A0Unless
> > > I
> > > > he=
> > > > ar
> > > > > from you to the contrary, I'll do so this evening.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > =A0 Also, maybe a comprehensive treatment of "jeep" based on your
> > > > bibliogra=
> > > > phic
> > > > > references would be a possibility. =A0I don't have time for this
> myself
> > > > at =
> > > > the
> > > > > moment, but perhaps I could find an interested student assistant
> who
> > > > woul=
> > > > d
> > > > > like doing this as a semester task.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Best. --- Jerry
> > > > >=20
> > > > > ________________________________
> > > > >=20
> > > > > From: Jonathan Lighter [mailto:wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com]
> > > > > Sent: Tue 9/21/2010 10:12 AM
> > > > > To: Cohen, Gerald Leonard
> > > > > Subject: OT: Jeep Bibliography
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Jerry, I can't find my specific notes for the comments in the
> Atlantic,
> > > > b=
> > > > ut
> > > > > below are the expanded references from HDAS. I think it's much too
> long
> > > > a=
> > > > nd
> > > > > specialized for the posting to the List.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Not quoted but very valuable for its technical history of the
> vehicle
> > > is
> > > > > =A0David Fetherston, Jeep. Osceola, Wis.: Motorbooks, 1996.
> > > > > I wonder if newspaper databases of 1936-41 would reveal anything
> new
> > > and
> > > > > significant.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Best,
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Jon
> > > > >=20
> > > > > SOURCES
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Berent, Mark. Rolling Thunder =A0N.Y.: Jove Books, 1989, p. 63.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Berrey, Lester V., and Melvin Van den Bark. The American Thesaurus
> of
> > > > Sla=
> > > > ng,
> > > > > with Supplement. N.Y.: Crowell, 1947. =A0Supplement, p. 32.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Blackburn, Tom. The Jolly Rogers. N.Y.: Orion, 1989. P. 87.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Boehm, Sydney. Union Station. Film, 1950.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Cannon, Jimmy. Nobody Asked Me, But. . . . Ed. J. Cannon and T.
> Cannon.
> > > > N=
> > > > .Y.:
> > > > > Penguin, 1983. =A0P. 312.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Current Slang (U. of South Dakota) V (Summer), p. 16.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Notebooks of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Ed. M.
> J.
> > > > > Bruccoli. N.Y.: Harcourt, 1978. P. 297.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Gingrich, Newt, and William =A0Forstchen. 1945. Riverdale, N.Y.:
> Baen,
> > > > 1995=
> > > > . P.
> > > > > 379.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > The Great Music of Duke Ellington. Melville, N.Y.: Belwin-Mills,
> 1973.
> > > > P.=
> > > >  133.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Hamann, Fred. Air Words. Seattle: Superior, 1946.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Honey, John. The Wing Will Fly. Discovery Channel TV, 1991.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Kahn, E. J. Army Life. =A0 N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1942. =A0P. 136.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Kendall, Park. =A0A Dictionary of Army and Navy Slang, by Park
> Kendall
> > > > and
> > > > > Johnny Viney. N.Y.: Mills, 1941.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Kisseloff, Jeff. You Must Remember This. San Diego: Harcourt, 1989.
> > > =A0P.
> > > > 6=
> > > > 4.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > LeVier, Tony, and John Guenther. Pilot. =A01954; rpt. N.Y.: Bantam,
> > > 1990.
> > > > =A0=
> > > > P.
> > > > > 86.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Linnekin, Richard. Eighty Knots to Mach 2. Annapolis: U.S. Naval
> > > > Institut=
> > > > e
> > > > > Press, 1991. P. 96.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Lockwood, Charles A. Lockwood. Zoomies, Subs, and Zeros. N.Y.:
> > > Greenberg,
> > > > > 1956. P. 9.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Loosbrock, John F., and Richard M. Skinner. The Wild Blue : The
> Story
> > > of
> > > > > American Air Power. N.Y.: Putnam, 1961. =A0P. 269.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > McCloskey, R. J. "Jeep." American Notes & Queries (Dec., 1943), p.
> 176.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Morison, Samuel Eliot. History ofUnited States Naval Operations in
> > > World
> > > > =
> > > > War
> > > > > II. Vol. X. =A0Boston: Little, Brown, 1956. P. 41
> > > > >=20
> > > > > "Nation Begins Creeping Mobilization..." =A0Life (July 24, 1950),
> p.
> > > 32.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Randolph Field: A History and Guide. N.Y.: Devin-Adair, 1942. P.
> 77.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Sagendorf, Bud. Popeye: The First Fifty Years. N.Y,: Workman, 1979.
> P.
> > > > 88=
> > > > .
> > > > >=20
> > > > > [VMF-323 U.S. Marine Corps]. "A Collection of Old American
> Ballads."
> > > > =A0Unp=
> > > > aged
> > > > > TS., 1953 [inaccurately dated "1951" in HDAS].
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Weinberg, Robert E., et al. eds. Tough Guys & Dangerous Dames.
> N.Y.:
> > > > Barn=
> > > > es &
> > > > > Noble, 1993. P. 6.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > HDAS also cites the following periodicals. I did not note authors
> and
> > > > tit=
> > > > les
> > > > > of articles:
> > > > >=20
> > > > > American Notes & Queries (Jan, 1944), p. 156.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > American Speech (Oct., 1941), p. 166, XX (1945), p. 261, XXIX
> (1954),
> > > p.
> > > > =
> > > > 260,
> > > > > XXXVII (1962), p. 77.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Army Ordnance (July, 1941), p. 79
> > > > >=20
> > > > > The Infantry Journal (July, 1941), p.68.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > The Leatherneck (June, 1942), p. 59.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > The National Geographic Magazine (July, 1941), p. 25.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > New York Times (Feb. 22, 1941) p. 8.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > New York Times Magazine (July 2, 1944), p. 38.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Saturday Evening Post (July 16, 1938), p. 16; (May 30, 1942), p,
> 67.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > The Smithsonian (Nov., 1992), p. 63.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Washington [D.C.] Daily News =A0(Feb. 20, 1941), p.12.
> > > > >=20
> > > > > Yank-The Army Weekly =A0(Nov. 11, 1942), p. 4, (May 7, 1943), p.
> 14.
> > > > >=20
> > > > >=20
> > > >
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> >
> >
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> truth."
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