The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?

[Jonathan Lighter]

I'm satisfied with that.  Thanks, Garson.

The cartoon undoubtedly helped popularize the phrase.

BTW...

A guest expert on CNN last week revealed that one public school system
(Cincinnati?) was trying to get kids to eat healthier by including a bean
burrito on the lunch menu. They even showcased the burritos on a special
table, but the kids wouldn't, er, bite.

Then somebody replaced the "bean burrito" sign with one that said, "BIG,
BAD, BEAN BURRITO!"

Now they can't keep up with the demand.

JL

On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 4:56 PM, Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: The "Big Bad Wolf" and chickens?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> > 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:
> >
> >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >> -----------------------
> >> 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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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
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