[Ads-l] [Non-DoD Source] Re: "Yay long"

[MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY RDECOM AMRDEC (US)]

Agreed.  I read this the same way I'd read "yea, verily".

 
> I don't think the June 1940 cite matches the other ones -- I'd read the "yea" there as "indeed" (OED sense 3: "used to introduce a statement,
> phrase, or word, stronger or more emphatic than that immediately preceding").
> 
> On Wed, May 3, 2017 at 6:54 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com
> > wrote:
> 
> > 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."
> > >
> > >
> >
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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