Jungle gyms

[Jonathan Lighter]

In NYC, 1955, the more elaborate structure could be called either "jungle
gym" or "monkey bars."

I never thought of it before, but I believe I can confirm that the simpler
structure was called "monkey bars" only.

I haven't heard "jungle gym" in decades.

Or "Jungle Jim": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_Jim

JL
On Thu, May 3, 2012 at 6:48 PM, Paul Johnston <paul.johnston at wmich.edu>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Paul Johnston <paul.johnston at WMICH.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Jungle gyms
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> We used both, in Monroe, NY, c. 1955.  I think monkey bars were an older
> term--my parents called it that,
>
> Paul Johnston
>
>
> On May 3, 2012, at 6:24 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>
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> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: Jungle gyms
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 5/3/2012 02:42 PM, Alice Faber wrote:
> >> On 5/3/12 2:40 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
> >>> On May 3, 2012, at 2:30 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> You forgot monkey bars and girl scout cookies.
> >>>
> >>> Isn't "monkey bar" another name for what we called a jungle gym?  I
> >>> think we only used the latter term.  But I suppose if some
> >>> outlander called the jungle gym a monkey bar we wouldn't have
> >>> looked around for someone to whip up a banana daiquiri.  And we
> >>> were also pretty sure we didn't have to worry about getting cut by
> >>> the sharp blades of a see-saw.  It's all context.
> >>
> >> Yeah, in my NY suburb, in the late 50s/earl 60s, 'jungle gym' was the
> >> default term, but we knew that there were people who called them monkey
> >> bars.
> >
> > Me too, in NYC (well, almost a suburb -- the far North Bronx).
> >
> > Joel
> >
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