[Ads-l] TK

Fri Nov 10 00:53:22 UTC 2017

Yeah, Larry is probably right.  However, Urban Dictionary does give 'semen' as a sense of "kum."

--Charlie

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 6:47:12 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: TK

The "kum" in "to kum" was originally sexual?

Give me a break!

The "cum" spelling only appeared in the '80s or so, and the spelling with
"k" is, even in 2017, brand-new to me.

Not to mention that if there was even a hint - a hint! - of graphic
sexuality in the proofreader's "kum," the spelling would never have
appeared casually in print before the late 20th century - and then only in
limited places.

JL

On Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 3:55 PM, Theresa Fisher <fisher.theresa at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thank you for this great info!
>
> On Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 3:03 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> > Subject:      Re: TK
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > -------------------
> >
> > > On Nov 9, 2017, at 2:38 PM, Charles C Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
> > >=20
> > > Some years ago we discussed the process by which "come" in the sense =
> > of '(sexually) ejaculate' evolved into "kum" as a noun.
> > >=20
> > >=20
> > > =E2=80=94Charlie
> > >=20
> > Did we?  I recall =E2=80=9Ccum=E2=80=9D but not =E2=80=9Ckum=E2=80=9D.  =
> > I=E2=80=99ve previously encountered the latter not as a term of art in =
> > umliterature but as the first syllable of kumquat.
> >
> > LH
> > =20
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of =
> > Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> > > Sent: Thursday, November 9, 2017 2:35:45 PM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > Subject: Re: TK
> > >=20
> > > Seems like the grand tradition that gave us =E2=80=9CO.K.=E2=80=9D (< =
> > =E2=80=9Coll korrect=E2=80=9D) is alive and well, or was in the 20th =
> > century, anyway...
> > >=20
> > >=20
> > >> On Nov 9, 2017, at 2:00 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole =
> > <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > >>=20
> > >> Here is an example in 1921 where it seems that "Hed to Kum" was
> > >> inserted by an editor and it accidentally appeared in the final
> > >> publication.
> > >>=20
> > >> Date: April 1921
> > >> Periodical: Feedingstuffs
> > >> Article: The Stockman Is Coming Back
> > >> AUTHOR: F.C. Minkler (American Feed Manufacturers Assn)
> > >> Quote Page 54
> > >> Database: Google Books
> > >>=20
> > >> =
> > https://books.google.com/books?id=3Duus9AQAAMAAJ&q=3D%
> > 22hed+to%22#v=3Dsnip=
> > pet&
> > >>=20
> > >> [Begin excerpt]
> > >> If it pays to feed 50 cent corn to $10.00 hogs or $10.00 cattle, it
> > >> will pay to tuck the same feed under the more pliable skins of the
> > >> pure bred animal, although the grade feeder is apt to come to life
> > >> sooner than the pure bred, simply because the turn over will take
> > >> place with a smaller initial investment and
> > >> Hed to Kum
> > >> [End excerpt]
> > >>=20
> > >> Google Books shows a snippet match circa 1923. The data shown in
> > >> snippet matches is sometimes inaccurate. Searching for "1923" within
> > >> the book reveals a snippet with the name of the author "George C.
> > >> Bastian" and "Chicago, October, 1923." This snippet probably appears
> > >> at the end of the preface. So the date is probably ok. But the
> > >> information should be verified with hardcopy.
> > >>=20
> > >> Year: 1923
> > >> Title: Editing the Day's News: An Introduction to Newspaper
> > >> Copyreading, Headline Writing, Illustration, Makeup, and General
> > >> Newspaper Methods
> > >> Author: George C. Bastian
> > >> Quote Page 228
> > >> Database: Google Books Snippet; this data may be inaccurate and =
> > should
> > >> be verified with hardcopy
> > >>=20
> > >> =
> > https://books.google.com/books?id=3DBgHba-Ic3akC&focus=
> > 3Dsearchwithinvolum=
> > e&q=3D%22hed+to%22
> > >>=20
> > >> [Begin extracted text]
> > >> H.T.C., H.T.K. =E2=80=94 Head to come,
> > >> or "hed to kum," indorsed on copy
> > >> to indicate story is running and
> > >> [End extracted text]
> > >>=20
> > >> Below is a match in 1946 for "HTK" and "Head to Kum" that is fully
> > >> visible in HathiTrust.
> > >>=20
> > >> Year: 1946
> > >> Title: Editing the Small City Daily
> > >> Author: Robert M. Neal with commentaries by Professor Eugen W. Sharp
> > >> and the late John M. Imrie.
> > >> Publisher: Prentice-Hall, New York
> > >> Edition: Revised
> > >> Database: HathiTrust
> > >> Quote Page 245
> > >>=20
> > >> https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015030920808
> > >> https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015030920808?urlappend=
> > 3D%3Bseq=3D263=
> >
> > >>=20
> > >> [Begin excerpt]
> > >> To save time, he sends along the lead before he writes the headline.
> > >> The lead carries a notation to assure the copy cutter that the
> > >> headline will be coming and that it hasn't been lost in the journey
> > >> from desk to composing room. This warning generally is the statement,
> > >> at the top of the lead, "Head to Come," often shortened to "H. to C."
> > >> or to "HTK" (Head to Kum).
> > >> [End excerpt]
> > >>=20
> > >> Garson
> > >>=20
> > >>=20
> > >> On Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 12:20 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole
> > >> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>> Here is a link to a 1958 newspaper story that explains the related
> > >>> abbreviation HTK which means "head to kum" or "hed to kum".
> > >>>=20
> > >>> Date: November 22, 1958
> > >>> Newspaper: Daily Independent Journal
> > >>> Newspaper Location: San Rafael, California
> > >>> Quote Page M6
> > >>>=20
> > >>> =
> > https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14993436/1958_example_of_
> > printer_slang_htk=
> > _hed/
> > >>>=20
> > >>> [Begin excerpt from photo caption]
> > >>> LINOTYPE BANK =E2=80=94 Here, words are turned into metal, not only =
> > for news
> > >>> stories but for advertisements. Each story bears an identifying =
> > "slug"
> > >>> referring to its heading or "HTK," meaning "hed to kum." As type is
> > >>> set, it is transferred to "galleys" or trays on "bank" at right. =
> > Slugs
> > >>> guide "floor men" in shunting type to proper department.
> > >>> [End excerpt]
> > >>>=20
> > >>> Below is a citation from 1922 containing the phrase "Hed to Kum". =
> > This
> > >>> phrase seems to be a message to the printer, but it appeared in the
> > >>> final copy. This was due to an error by the printer. Alternatively, =
> > it
> > >>> was an obscure joke.
> > >>>=20
> > >>> Date: July 1922
> > >>> Volume 23, Number 7
> > >>> Periodical: Correct English: How to Use It
> > >>> Article: A Study in Expressive Word Combinations
> > >>> Subtitle: =46rom The Secret Places of the Heart
> > >>> Article Author: H.G. Wells
> > >>> Note: Excerpt appears at the end of the article
> > >>> Start Page 182, Quote Page 183
> > >>> Publisher: Correct English Publishing Co., Evanston, Illinois
> > >>>=20
> > >>> =
> > https://books.google.com/books?id=3Dy1RJAQAAMAAJ&q=3D%
> > 22to+kum%22#v=3Dsnip=
> > pet&
> > >>>=20
> > >>> [Begin excerpt]
> > >>> =E2=80=94The Queries and Answers omitted in this number, will be =
> > resumed in
> > >>> the August number
> > >>> =E2=80=94Hed to Kum=E2=80=94How goes?
> > >>> [End excerpt]
> > >>>=20
> > >>> Garson O'Toole
> > >>>=20
> > >>>=20
> > >>> On Thu, Nov 9, 2017 at 10:54 AM, Theresa Fisher
> > >>> <fisher.theresa at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >>>> Hi,
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> I'm writing a short article in which I discuss the abbreviation TK =
> > (meaning
> > >>>> "to come" in journalism and publishing). I know the basic origin =
> > story of
> > >>>> TK: Back in the days of print journalism, TK (as well as lede, hed =
> > and dek)
> > >>>> were used as purposely misspelled shorthand that proofreaders and =
> > copy
> > >>>> editors wouldn't mistake for actual copy or typos.
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> I've read that "K" was chosen both because TK is an unusual letter
> > >>>> combination and because it's an abbreviation of the slang "to kum."
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> But I was hoping to find some more detailed information about TK =
> > and was
> > >>>> wondering if anyone had more insight on its history or usage.
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> Thanks,
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> Theresa
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> --
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> Theresa Fisher
> > >>>> fisher.theresa at gmail.com
> > >>>> 914 500 3434
> > >>>>=20
> > >>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >>=20
> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >=20
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >=20
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> Theresa Fisher
> fisher.theresa at gmail.com
> 914 500 3434
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

--
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