[Ads-l] "Kryptonite" Finally in OED (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill CIV (US)]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

OED still lacks "dilithium crystals" from Star Trek.

Mythical places included:
Atlantis, Mu, Shangri La, Midgard, Valhalla, Utopia (both More's literal place and figurative places), Flatland, Oz, Xanadu

Mythical places not [yet] included:
Krypton (Superman's home planet), Vulcan (Spock's home planet; the hypothetical planet of our solar system is included, as is the sense which includes Spock's race), Narnia, Middle Earth (Tolkien), Lilliput (it does show up in the etymology of Lilliput = person of small size), Brobdingnag (appears in etymology of Brobdingnag = large), Pellucidar

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Shapiro, Fred
> Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2015 7:09 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "Kryptonite" Finally in OED
> 
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      "Kryptonite" Finally in OED
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Some on this list may recall that I have long advocated that the OED includ= e words that are important in specific popular fictional works
> (novels, fil= ms, comics, etc.), regardless of whether the word in question has developed=  figurative meanings outside of the specific
> fiction.  One of my main examp= les has been the term "kryptonite."
> 
> I now see that the latest release of additions to the OED includes an entry=  for "kryptonite."  I don't know that my campaign had anything
> to do with t= his, nor that my general argument has gained any acceptance (the OED's addi= tion of "kryptonite" may well have been based
> on figurative meanings outsid= e of the Superman context).  But I am still gratified by the addition of th= is word.
> 
> It is interesting that the OED entry shows that "kryptonite" was used in th= e "Adventures of Superman" radio series long before it was used
> in the comi= cs.
> 
> Fred Shapiro
> 
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

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