1947 citing in Archie Comic of "butthole." What did it mean?

[Douglas G. Wilson]

On 5/2/2012 4:12 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter<wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: 1947 citing in Archie Comic of "butthole." What did it mean?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> CAVEAT: It may be that the only reason that the problematic strip was found
>   at all is that somebody saw it in the book and Googled it via Google News.
>
> If it's in the book, it's ultimate significance may remain a mystery.
>
> If it isn't, perhaps a prudish editor silently elided it in 2010.
>
> But what if there's a different word entirely, as neatly lettered as you
> please?
>
> And could perusal of this work steer us to other papers that carried
> "Archie" in 1947 for comparison?
>
> Tune in next week....
--

Supposedly, it's in the book:

http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2010/09/06/betty-cooper-insanity-postwar-division/

... but it would be good for an expert to review all the other strips
(maybe especially those from around 1 April 1948) and check for other
sightings of the word in question or comparable things.

-- Doug Wilson

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