[Ads-l] stupid, n.; nonsensical, n.

[Baker, John]

Which in turn was based on the proverb "handsome is as handsome does."  Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield, 1766 (in the form "handsome is that handsome does"); P. Ayres, Mythologia Ethica, 1689 ("He handsome is that handsome does").  

Some people like to trace this back to Chaucer, but he wrote (in The Wife of Bath's Tale) "he is gentil that doth gentil dedis," which does not involve nouning.


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of W Brewer
Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2016 4:27 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: stupid, n.; nonsensical, n.

< Stupid is as stupid does. >  Forrest Gump 1994, novel 1986.

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