[Ads-l] "Yay long"

Wed May 3 22:54:39 UTC 2017

Great work, Bill. Here is an instance from June 1940 of the phrase
"yea large as" which is part of a comparison construct. I guess if you
say "yea large" and employ a hand motion then you are implicitly using
a comparison.

Interestingly, this item was first published in 1915 and the 1940
appearance was a reprint. Perhaps "yea large" is being used in a
different way? Or perhaps this citation will provide some etymological
insight.

Date: June 15, 1940
Newspaper: The Iola Register
Newspaper Location: Iola, Kansas
Article: 25 Years Ago - Items From The Register of June 15, 1915
Quote Page 4, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/4910890/?terms=%22yea%2Blarge%22

[Begin excerpt]
W. P. Bell, of Wolf Bros, barber shop enters his Downing gooseberries
for the medal in their line. The berries are large as marbles, yea
large as the favorite "taw" of Skinnay who always shoots with the
largest "boulder" he can find. The bushes are but two years old and
are yielding six gallons each.
[End excerpt]

The article title indicated that the item was being reprinted from an
issue of the newspaper published in 1915, and that claim was true.
Here is the citation and a link:

Date: June 15, 1915
Newspaper: The Iola Daily Register
Newspaper Location: Iola, Kansas
Article: Untitled item
Quote Page 3, Column 6
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1058604/?terms=%22yea%2Blarge%2Bas%22

Garson

On Wed, May 3, 2017 at 6:15 PM, MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY
RDECOM AMRDEC (US) <william.d.mullins18.civ at mail.mil> wrote:
> Bend OR _The Bend Bulletin_ 24 Sep 1941 p 27 col 2
> "Dress goods -- woolens, cottons, in astonishing array, plaids, corduroys, it's all there at Wetle's, with books yea-big of patterns, for those handy with a needle."
>
> La Grande OR _La Grande Observer_ 11 May 1943 p 6 col 1
> "Fireman Oscar Marshall put Sunday afternoon to good use by catching a fine limit of trout from the Wallowa river, including several which were "oh, about yay big!" "
>
> La Grande OR _La Grande Observer_ 24 Jun 1943 p 1 col 2
> "Due to Jean's age and size, she will have to wait awhile to enlist in the WAAC, but she won't have to wait long for her uniform, which is size -- oh, well, about so long . . . and yay wide, complete with metal military buttons."
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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