Morning wood (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Douglas G. Wilson]

On 11/17/2012 8:22 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> ....
>
> A "woodie" is slightly earlier. And "stiffie" is a little earlier than
> that. In print, anyway.
--

I recall this "stiffy" from the 1960's. It seems such a natural way to
say "something stiff" that I suppose it may have been coined multiply
over the decades/centuries. I see it in "Tales of the French Riviera" (I
think published about 1968 although the G-books printing may be much later).

This "woody" was novel to me around 1990 or 1992 IIRC. I suppose it
didn't have wide US currency in the time of the Beach Boys ... let alone
in Woody Woodpecker's early days ....

When are the early dictionary citations? (Pardon me if I've missed part
of the discussion.)

--
>
> I suggest "woodie"  is the origin of both " Woodrow" and "morning wood
--

Seems highly likely!

-- Doug Wilson

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org