antedating of SWAG

[Jonathan Lighter]

Great finds, Garson.

JL

On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 2:12 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: antedating of SWAG
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Here are instances of "wag" and "swag" in an Associated Press report
> in November 1965. The reporter (or an editor) seems to be suppressing
> the word "ass" which is not mentioned when the acronyms are explained.
> Hence, "swag" becomes "stupid wild guess".
>
> Cite: 1965 November 26, Seattle Daily Times, "Accuracy, Value of Body
> Tally Questioned" by John T. Wheeler, [Associated Press], Page 9 [GNB
> Page 11], Seattle, Wasington. (GenealogyBank)
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> In the field, officers went to units demanding a "wag" court to give
> Saigon. This meant a wild guess of the number of enemy killed based on
> bodies counted and on estimates by individual squads, platoon and
> companies. As the pressure from Saigon mounted the jargon was altered
> to "swag" count, meaning stupid wild guess.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 9:23 AM, Jonathan Lighter
> <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      antedating of SWAG
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Not in OED.
> >
> > I first heard this in the early '70s as the acronym of "Scientific
> > Wild-Assed Guess."  Also "Stupid...."
> >
> > 1966 James H. Pickerell _Vietnam in the Mud_ (Indianapolis:
> Bobbs-Merrill)
> > 14: Consequently, troops in the field have started turning in what they
> > refer to as a SWAG count, but what their superiors still call a "body
> > count." (SWAG stands for "Stupid Wild-Ass Guess.")
> >
> > Malcolm W. Browne's intro is dated "February, 1966."
> >
> > JL
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
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