Anecdote: Write 'damn' instead of 'very'. The editor will strike out the word, 'damn'. (William Allen White 1935)

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Sat Aug 18 14:04:12 UTC 2012


On Aug 18, 2012, at 8:57 AM, Garson O'Toole wrote:

>
>
>
> Here is a bonus cite: In 1917 William Allen White was connected to a
> different story featuring the words "damn" and "very".
>
> Cite: 1917 December 6, Watertown Daily Times, [Freestanding short
> item], Page 4, Column 3, Watertown, New York. (GenealogyBank)
> [Begin excerpt]
> William Allen White says that women use "very" when men use "damn."
> All right, but what do men say as the next step in their vocabulary
> when women say "damn."
> [End excerpt]
>

Dunno, but it's a fucking great question.

LH

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