cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs

[Jonathan Lighter]

Seems to me the ads are still going strong. And Wiki seems to think so too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_the_Cuckoo_Bird

Only an individual who never watches Saturday morning cartoons would be
unfamiliar with this phrase, though I confess I've never heard it till now
outside of the commercials .

JL

On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 9:56 PM, George Thompson <george.thompson at nyu.edu>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society
> Poster:       George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> So if this expression alludes to a commercial that hasn't been seen for 15
> years or so, why is there a sudden outbreak now?  I'd never seen the
> commercial, and had never until this series commenced encountered the
> expression.'
>
> GAT
>
> On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 4:07 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Joel, there are actual grownups who cannot remember a time before the
> > 1980s.
> >
> > I was about to say, "I pity them," but I think I pity me more.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 2:59 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I had assumed this was well known, so no reference would be needed.
> But,
> > > for the sake of completion:
> > >
> > > 1960s
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uVP1Uy5tL0
> > >
> > > 1970s
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF3m-ZuF1lQ
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3q-zwvqBq8
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n28iAlszTg8
> > >
> > > 1980s
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1CBftRW0F8
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWyfE4VZiUY
> > >
> > > 1990s
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxqQ62rvWqc
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6E2K88MnoM
> > >
> > > The bird's name is Sonny.
> > >
> > >      VS-)
> > >
> > > On 8/25/2012 2:34 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> > > > This comes from the commercial (of the '80s, I'm told).  That cuckoo
> > > > was certainly "crazily enthusiastic"; he/she can be seen in
> > > > YouTube.  So not purely an alliterative origin; alien archaeologists
> > > > 20 years from now will certainly know what it means and be able to
> > > > trace its source.
> > > >
> > > > Joel
> > > >
> > > > At 8/25/2012 01:14 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > >> I heard somebody else use this phrase on CNN in the past week (as a
> > > synonym
> > > >> for "crazy" or "crazily enthusiastic").
> > > >>
> > > >> JL
> > > >> On Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 12:55 PM, Victor Steinbok <
> > aardvark66 at gmail.com
> > > >wrote:
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >>> In 20 years,  will anyone know what this means?
> > > >>>
> > > >>> "That in itself speaks volumes about the cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs
> > essence
> > > >>> of the contemporary GOP."
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Or will we be analyzing it as some sort of alliterative iteration?
> > > >>>
> > > >>>       VS-)
> > > >>>
> > > >>> PS: If anyone cares about the origin, that's Kathleen Geier,
> subbing
> > on
> > > >>> weekends at the Washington Monthly blog.
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> George A. Thompson
> Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
> Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much since then.
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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