Wizard of Oz and the dictionary

[Baker, John]

I don't know what the basis is for describing the Munchkins in the books as " craven, officious, meddlesome, superstitious little creatures."  I just looked back at the relevant section of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the Munchkins seem polite, informative, and grateful to Dorothy.  They are superstitious, of course, in believing in witches and magic, but there is some basis for that, since there really are magical witches in Oz.


John Baker



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From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Victor Steinbok
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Subject: Wizard of Oz and the dictionary

I did a brief search for Munchkins and several of the OED definitions
can be antedated by at least a decade (first mentions range from 1974
and 1981)--and some uses appear to be missing. For A. n. 1.

> A small and endearing person; /esp./ a child. Also used as a term of
> endearment.

But some of the mentions before 1974 are anything but endearing--Art
Buchwald is described as "munchkin of a man". The "endearing" quality
appears to have developed over time. Compare that to A. n. 2.

> /U.S./ /slang/ (/humorous/ or /derogatory/). A minor public official.

I believe, "functionary" is a synonym. Once again, nothing endearing.
Munchkins in Oz are not particularly endearing--in fact, Safire (in the
1981 quote from 2.) got the spirit just right--craven, officious,
meddlesome, superstitious little creatures. The film (1939) made them
far more "endearing" than they were meant to be in the books.

I'll post a list later, unless someone beats me to it.

But what about other words, phrases and expressions from the books and
the movie? Tin man? Not in the OED. Ruby slippers? You don't need to
watch RuPaul to recognize that one. "Lions and tigers and bears--oh,
my!", "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?", "I'll get you, my
pretty--and your little dog too!" (either separately or together); "pay
no attention to the man behind the curtain", "follow the yellow brick
road", "we're off to see the wizard", "[Toto], we're not in Kansas any
more", "click your heels [three times]", "you're getting sleepy,
slee-eepy", "there is no place like home", "the great and powerful
wizard", etc. Some are just used in snowclone-like manner, but others
have gained a legitimate life of their own. Are any of them
dictionary-worthy?

     VS-)

PS: When it comes to "tin",

> 2. a. A vessel made of tin, or more usually of tinned iron; spec. a
> vessel in which meat, fish, fruit, etc., is hermetically sealed for
> preservation (= can n.1 3); locally, a small cylindrical drinking
> vessel or mug with a handle.
>  b. Tin-plate as the material of such vessels.

Aside from the fact that "tin can" is dated to 1770 Washington diaries
or letters, tin 2.a to 1795 and tin 2.b. to 1879, isn't the meaning more
broad to encompass sheet metal for a variety of uses? (Hence, Tin man)
And was /all/ sheet metal tinned at the end of the 19th century? Or was
this a general reference to all sheet metal--tinned or untinned?
"Tin-soldier" lacks a definition and only has one quote from
1603--modern US metaphor is completely missing ("Tin soldiers and Nixon
coming..."). Whatever the case, "tin" needs an update.

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