[Ads-l] Antedating of "facepalm"

[Ben Zimmer]

These cites can be found in the Winter 2011 installment of "Among the New
Words," AmSp 86.4, pp. 466-7.

http://bit.ly/ATNW86-4


On Tue, Feb 7, 2017 at 4:18 PM, Hugo <hugovk at gmail.com> wrote:

> Merriam-Webster: 2008
>
> Word Spy: 2001
>
> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facepalm
> http://wordspy.com/index.php?word=facepalm
>
> Here's 1996 antedatings of both verb and noun, all from the
> bit.listserv.superguy Usenet group of the Superguy creative fiction
> writing group. "Facepalm" was often used in these stories at this
> time.
>
>
> facepalm, v.
>
>
> 1996 May 15, Robertson, Jon, “SG: Remains #2 (2/2)”:
>
>   Christie blinked, then *looked* at Steven. "Do you have any idea
> what might be different?"
>      "Um...  No?"
>      Christie facepalmed.  "Well, her hair was red this morning,
> right?  It's blonde now.  You figure it out."
>
>
> 1996 May 21, Taylor, Jesse Brian, “SG: Tornado Knights #10 (2/2)”:
>
>      "Yay! I know you! You're Nicholas Lee, the detective who got fired
> 'cos of us!" Nina exclaimed happily.
>      Lee facepalmed. "Arrgh..."
>      "Nina..." Tris muttered. "Let's quit while we're ahead, okay?"
>
>
> facepalm, n.
>
>
> 1996 June 6, Borden, Amy, “SG: Slackers Anonymous #14”:
>
>         [Cue:  William Tell Overture]
>         [sound of Frank Zappa's "San Ber'dino" being played on Japanese
> instruments]
>         [Kevin (the Muse): "Wargh!  It SAID _William Tell!"]
>         [Cantata11 (walking up with a koto): "Oof.  Sorry.  It's just that
> the
> girls had gotten warmed up to the other thingy..."]
>         [Kevin:  "William _Tell_, 11." (facepalm)]
>
>
> 1996 August 6, General Chaos, “SG: Slackers Anonymous #16 --
> "Experienced?"”:
>
>         "Do you think Carl Sagan might be available?"
>         There was a mass-facepalm.
>         "No." they chorused.
>
> Links can be found via https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/facepalm
>
>
>

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