The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?

Garson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Fri Mar 4 21:56:10 UTC 2011


There are quite a few incorrect dates for books containing "big, bad
wolf" but this link goes to a 1914 work that looks ok.

Life and Literature Readers: First Reader
http://books.google.com/books?id=zjlCAAAAIAAJ&q=%22bad+wolf%22#v=snippet&

On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 4:31 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> John, I'm not at all certain that those GB refs. are independent of Disney.
>
> Snippets show that at least some of the dates are wildly wrong.
>
> The "signature" song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" appears to have
> premiered along with the cartoon in the spring of 1933.
>
> Victor, is there an indisputable pre-Disney cite of "the big, bad wolf"?
> The link goes to a 1947 cartoon with "BBW" used by an IMDb reviewer.
>
> JL
>
> On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 4:20 PM, Baker, John <JMB at stradley.com> wrote:
>
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>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>        Google Books does have earlier examples of the "big, bad wolf."
>> These are in full text and appear to check out.  I didn't see "Big Bad
>> Wolf," though.
>>
>>        Li'l Bad Wolf was a regular in the pages of Walt Disney's Comics
>> and Stories, the Disney anthology comic book that has run since 1940.  I
>> seem to recall that in those stories Zeke did occasionally go after
>> chickens.
>>
>>        "Li'l" and its variant, "Little," is a surprisingly common name
>> for children in the comics:  Little Lotta, Little Dot, Little Lulu, even
>> Li'l Abner.  Rarely seen in real life.
>>
>>
>> John Baker
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
>> Of Jonathan Lighter
>> Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 3:54 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?
>>
>> 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
>>
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