OT: -ify and -ification (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Laurence Horn]

On Sep 1, 2011, at 9:57 AM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:

> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> I thought the deal with Archie (the cockroach in George Herriman's
> "Archie and Mehitabel") was not that his legs were so close together,
> but that he didn't weigh enough to push down the shift key on the old
> manual typewriters of the era.  If he'd been heavier, he could have used
> the Shift Lock and made capital letters.
>
Not to be picky (well, OK, to be picky), but you're both exaggerating the cockroach's plight.  His name was "archy", not "archie", so he didn't have to expend quite as much energy as you're assuming when he was signing his work.

LH

>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf Of
>> Joel S. Berson
>> Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 9:49 AM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: OT: -ify and -ification
>>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> ----------------------
>> -
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>> Subject:      Re: OT:  -ify and -ification
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
>> -
>>
>> I see Arnold, unlike Archie, has two front legs that are far enough
>> apart that he can hold down the Shift key at the same time as he
>> strikes a letter key.  Evidence below, in signed message.
>>
>> Joel
>>
>> At 8/28/2011 11:45 PM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:
>> ...
>>> fascinating.  i did mention "Californication" (the Red Hot Chili
>>> Peppers and the tv show) in
>>>  http://arnoldzwicky.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/creepitude/
>>> but i didn't trace it back any further than these two vectors.
>>>
>>> arnold
>>
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> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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