Morning wood (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jonathan Lighter]

HDAS files have a "stiff" from ca 1930, with a 1938 ex. saying that it was
becoming "obsolete" in favor of "hard-on." (OED:1980)

A "stiffer" appears in 1968 (OED: 1980), with "stiffie" (no OED) pop. by
Beavis & Butthead in 1992.

JL

On Sat, Nov 17, 2012 at 9:11 AM, Douglas G. Wilson <douglas at nb.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Morning wood (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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
>
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