[Ads-l] Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jeff Prucher]

> On Thursday, January 8, 2015 2:32 PM, "Mullins, Bill CIV (US)" <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL> wrote:
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> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill CIV (US)" 
> <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)
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> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
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> 
> I bet the fact that there are also non-SF uses of "carbonite" strongly 
> infl=

> uenced the decision to include the Star Wars one.


That was my guess, too. (Note also that the only alien species from outside the Solar System is "Vegan", although that dates from the Supplements, and not the current editorship.) I see that impervium (originally from the Buck Rogers comic strips, apparently) was also added last year. 


Jeff Prucher



> 
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
>>  Behalf Of Baker, John
>>  Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2015 4:31 PM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)
>> =20
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>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
>>  Subject:      Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
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>> =20
>>  "Carbonite" is also included.  Still no entry for 
> "kryptonite," which I
>>  wou=3D ld have said has the strongest claim of all.
>> =20
>> =20
>>  John Baker
>> =20
>> =20
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
>>  Behalf Of=3D  Mullins, Bill CIV (US)
>>  Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2015 5:22 PM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)
>> =20
>>  Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>>  Caveats: NONE
>> =20
>>  Fred's prediction has come true -- "unobtanium" is now listed 
> in the
>>  OED.
>> =20
>> =20
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>>  > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at 
> LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at 
> YALE.EDU>
>>  > Subject:      Fictional Materials for OED
>>  >
>>  > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -
>>  > ---=3D
>>  ------
>>  >
>>  > I have previously suggested that OED should have entries for
>>  "kryptonite"
>>  > (Superman), the spice "melange" (Dune) and 
> "ice-nine" (Cat's Cradle).
>>  > No one seemed particularly to agree with me, as I remember.
>>  >
>>  > I am inspired to return to this topic by noticing that Wikipedia has
>>  > an article, "List of Fictional Elements, Materials, Isotopes and
>>  > Atomic Particles."  This list supplies me with some additional
>>  candidates:
>>  >
>>  > adamantium (Wolverine)
>>  > carbonite (The Empire Strikes Back)
>>  > dilithium (Star Trek)
>>  >
>>  > After its use in the film Avatar, "unobtanium" may also 
> merit OED
>>  > inclusion.
>>  >
>>  > Fred Shapiro
>>  >
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> Caveats: NONE
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