[Ads-l] FW: [Non-DoD Source] Re: Child's misunderstanding: "the donzerly light" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill CIV (US)]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

"Pullet surprise" seems to be in the 13 Jun 1926 Des Moines Register (Newspapers.com premium), but I can't get to it.


> 
> Consider the following error that supposedly was made by a student:
> "In 1957, Eugene O'Neill won a Pullet Surprise."
> 
> The LA Times mentioned an earlier occurrence. (I haven't tried to trace it, yet.)
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> To date the phrase even further back, Mike Brennan of Pacific Palisades writes that in the book "Bigger and Better Boners: An Up-to-date
> Compendium of Errors Compiled from Classrooms and Examination Papers by Alexander Abington," 1952, he finds this: "A pullet surprise is
> given in America every year for the best writings."
> [End excerpt]
> 
> Here is a link to the LA Times article:
> 
> Date: February 27, 1985
> Article: 'Pullet surprise' mystery deepens: Malapropism or gin--it's a case of boos
> Byline: Jack Smith
> http://articles.latimes.com/1985-02-27/news/vw-8930_1_pullet-surprise
> 
> Garson
> 
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

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