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

[Jeff Prucher]

On Friday, January 9, 2015 8:28 AM, "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:


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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)
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>Right, my impression of kryptonite is not that it's hard, but rather that i=
>t has some kind of poisonous effect on people from the planet Krypton.  But=
>in its figurative application it may have been misinterpreted in the popul=
>ar mind.=0A=
>=0A=
>Fred Shapiro=0A=


Definitely seems to be the case in these examples. (Also, presumably, when they chose the brand name for Kryptonite locks -- I don't think they meant to imply that they only deter Kryptonians from stealing bikes.) There are also some interesting uses of kryptonite as a generic, unspecified substance, similar to "widget" for objects.

https://books.google.com/books?id=OKq-lMLVlzkC&pg=PA130
The Role of Natural Gas in Environmental Policy. Stephen L. McDonald, ed. 

DIANE Publishing, 1993. p. 129

The only eight U.S. producers of kryptonite seek certification for joint discussions and meetings on the possible formation of a business plan to operate an export entity to jointly market and sell kryptonite for export.

https://books.google.com/books?id=72FU7r2JWDAC&pg=PA14
China, the Art of Law: Chronicling Deals, Disasters, Greed, Stupidity and Occasional Success in the New China. by Mark E. Schaub. CCH Hong Kong Limited, 2006. p 14.

A U.S. company was interested in securing the supply of kryptonite. Gongti county in deepest, darkest Lanzhou is famous for two things: (1) its world-class supply of kryptonite; and (2) its extreme poverty.


Jeff


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>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Mullin=
>s, Bill CIV (US) [william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL]=0A=
>Sent: Friday, January 09, 2015 10:18 AM=0A=
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=0A=
>Subject: Re: Fictional Materials for OED (UNCLASSIFIED)=0A=
>=0A=
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=0A=
>Caveats: NONE=0A=
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>=0A=
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>>=0A=
>> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=0A=
>> Caveats: NONE=0A=
>>=0A=
>> Fictional Materials for OED=0A=
>> Benjamin Zimmer bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU=0A=
>> Mon Jan 4 22:31:05 UTC 2010=0A=
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>>=0A=
>> > "Kryptonite" probably deserves a dictionary entry because it has=0A=
>> > metaphorical uses beyond the Superman genre...=0A=
>>=0A=
>> Here are two such uses, documented from the mid-'70s:=0A=
>>=0A=
>> ---=0A=
>>=0A=
>> * Kryptonite, adj. 'very hard or indestructible, as if made of=0A=
>> Kryptonite'=0A=
>>=0A=
>> 1975 _Chicago Tribune 28 Dec. F14/2 "Well it doesn't bother me a bit,"=0A=
>> says the man with the Kryptonite ego.=0A=
>>=0A=
>> 1977 _College English_ 38 (7) 641 Further, we determine that the=0A=
>> kryptonite-hard desk surface is there to prevent students from=0A=
>> scribbling.=0A=
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__www.jstor.org_stabl=
>e_376066&d=3DAwIFAg&c=3D-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=3DsRkhHMQo6W5Ird1lkQFqb23b=
>CfSHAR2XjUSUG53db5M&m=3Dc9n07CTZYAv3M1QXx04REu-kOmCip_vohjq_fwpQXlk&s=3DmVB=
>8rxVLP7JMIDqp2VanU0ErRyFQkfOcCqw5PasBE6A&e=3D=0A=
>>=0A=
>> 1981 _L.A. Times_ 12 June E22/2  [Pete Rose is] 436 away from Cobb,=0A=
>> whom he could pass in 1984, providing his Kryptonite body doesn't=0A=
>> suddenly incinerate.=0A=
>>=0A=
>> ---=0A=
>>=0A=
>> --Ben Zimmer=0A=
>>=0A=
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>It's been a while since I read many Superman comics, but I don't recall Kry=
>ptonite as being "hard or indestructible" -- at least any more so than any =
>other radioactive rock.=0A=
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>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=0A=
>Caveats: NONE=0A=
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