The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Fri Mar 4 20:53:58 UTC 2011


I dunno, Victor, Are you sure you're talking about Disney's Zeke "The Big
Bad" Wolf?

My impression is that the Disney wolf & pigs cartoon was the earliest source
to call the wolf "The Big Bad."

Specialists will recall the angst of his son, "Li'l Wolf," as he tried
to thwart his father with good deeds. Adding to his difficulties was that he
was a boy named Li'l.

Where are you now, Li'l Wolf? We hope you have triumphed over your tragic
upbringing.

JL

On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 2:52 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 3/4/2011 02:21 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
> >There was quite a number of classic cartoons (from the 1930s and 40s)
> >involving BBW and sheep.
>
> Still no BBW and *chickens*, though, as alleged by Burr.
>
> Joel
>
> >In particular, one series had the wolf
> >repeatedly outsmarted by a sheep Blackie, although in some episodes
> >Blackie was "saved" from the pot by the cartoon ending prematurely. In
> >general, the wolf vs. sheep scenario does not appear to be uncommon. On
> >the contrary, Three Little Pigs appears to be a singular but pervasive
> >aberration.
> >
> >     VS-)
> >
> >On 3/4/2011 12:46 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> >>At 3/4/2011 11:14 AM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> >>>Which mistake was made: confusing chickens for sheep, or a wolf for a
> fox?
> >>>DanG
> >>Well, I don't know about a "Big Bad Wolf" and sheep either.
> >>...
> >
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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