[Ads-l] Meta re: rebel yell and yeehaw
Mark Mandel
mark.a.mandel at GMAIL.COM
Mon Apr 2 10:42:38 UTC 2018
My, my. *NINE LEVELS *of embedded quotes. I think that's a record for what
I've seen, or at least that I've cared enough to read.
*wc* (no, not "W.C."!) says
341 2416 10979
lines words
ş
Mark Mandel
On Wed, Mar 28, 2018 at 9:09 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:
> Merriam-Webster online now defines "rebel yell" as follows:
>
>
> ...
> On Sat, Jul 15, 2017 at 11:25 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>
...
> > Those of sufficient maturity may recall the following battle-cry:
> >
> > Galaxy Magazine - Volume 8, Issues 1-6 - Page 137
> > https://books.google.com/books?id=gLoSAAAAIAAJ
> > 1954 - Snippet view
> > And then the little man cupped his hands to his mouth and hooted
> mournfully
> > into the twilight, _"Wa-wa-wa-wa-wabbit twacks!"_
>
I am and I do. Yeah! But I can't remember the origin.
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 15, 2017 at 9:28 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > A US Marine Corps recruiting poster of 1918 reads, remarkably,
> > >
> > > "E-E-E-Yah-Yip Go Over With U.S. Marines"
> > >
> > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/3551356171/in/set-
> > > 72157604204316251/
> > >
> > > I read the "Yip" as a clumsy way of conveying a high-pitched squeal,
> > rather
> > > than the representation of an actual vocable.
> > >
> > > An interesting relative of both the "yip-yip-yip" type of rebel yell
> and
> > > the later, iconic "(Y)ee-ha!"
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > > On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 8:33 AM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > Subject: Re: rebel yell and yeehaw
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > -------------------
> > > >
> > > > Yesterday I found myself serendipitously driving behind a panel truck
> > > that
> > > > advertised
> > > >
> > > > YEE-HAW! A FINE SOUTHERN BEER.
> > > >
> > > > YOU'LL SAY IT WHEN YOU DRINK IT!
> > > >
> > > > Proof:
> > > > https://trademarks.justia.com/864/49/you-ll-say-it-when-you-
> > > > drink-86449331.html
> > > >
> > > > JL
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 5:02 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > > Subject: Re: rebel yell and yeehaw
> > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > -------------------
> > > > >
> > > > > Another early Yeehah!
> > > > >
> > > > > "The Cumberland Three" was a folk-pop band of the Kingston Trio
> sort.
> > > In
> > > > > 1960 they released a pair of LPs of souped-up Civil War songs on
> the
> > > > > Roulette label: "Civil War Almanac: 'Yankees,' Vol. 1" and
> > > "...'Rebels,'
> > > > > Vol. 2."
> > > > >
> > > > > On track B3 of the latter album, an extreme "Yeehah!" is
> specifically
> > > > > identified as "the rebel yell."
> > > > >
> > > > > The Cumberland Three, as far as I can tell, hailed from the West
> > Coast.
> > > > >
> > > > > JL
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sun, Jun 7, 2015 at 4:45 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> > > > >
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > > > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > > > Subject: Re: rebel yell and yeehaw
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > -------------------
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Now there's a whole book on the subject:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://www.amazon.com/The-Rebel-Yell-Cultural-History/
> > dp/0817318488
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Nothing linguistically new here, though there's a lot of
> discussion
> > > of
> > > > > the
> > > > > > yell as a primary postbellum cultural symbol that seems to have
> > been
> > > > > ousted
> > > > > > by the Confederate battle flag (actually, naval flag) only during
> > the
> > > > > Civil
> > > > > > Rights Movement.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Professor Warren's bulleted "key observations" include:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "As early as the summer of 1861 Southern screeching had occurred
> in
> > > > both
> > > > > > major theaters of the war. ...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "The Rebel yell seemingly lacked words, word sounds, rhyme, and
> any
> > > > > > coherent rhythm....
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "The yell resulted from bodies of men screeching in unison. The
> > > > > collective
> > > > > > effort created greater volume and complexity than could be
> achieved
> > > by
> > > > > any
> > > > > > one soldier...."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Etc. He also cites and dismisses claims that the yell originated
> at
> > > > Troy,
> > > > > > in Britain or Ireland, among the Mongols, or in the ululations of
> > > > Muslim
> > > > > > Spain. Maybe Indian war-whoops contributed, maybe they didn't.
> > Maybe
> > > > > slave
> > > > > > shouts too, but maybe not. You just can't tell with the rebel
> yell;
> > > > > > especially since, as Professor Warren correctly observes, there
> was
> > > no
> > > > > > single, standard, prescribed yell at all.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Prof. Warren, author of an earlier book on Civil War literature,
> > > cites
> > > > a
> > > > > > plethora of rebel yell information.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Except, that is, for our multi-year discussion, which began in
> > > 2006. I
> > > > > > find no mention of "Yeehaw!" antebellum mules, "Red River," Stan
> > > > > Freberg,
> > > > > > "Doctor Strangelove," or the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But there is a photo of the dust jacket of H. Allen Smith's
> book.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > JL
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Mon, Feb 23, 2015 at 6:58 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > > > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >
> > > > > > > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > > > > Subject: Re: rebel yell and yeehaw
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > -------------------
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > One day earlier in _The Oregonian_ (Portland), p. 11.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > JL
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On Mon, Feb 23, 2015 at 6:44 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > > > > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <
> ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > >
> > > > > > > > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > > > > > Subject: Re: rebel yell and yeehaw
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > -------------------
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > For the record, here is the earliest "Yee-ha[w/h]!" I've seen
> > > that
> > > > > > > > explicitly refers to it as a "rebel yell":
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > 1984 Joyce Lain Kennedy in _Springfield [Mass.] Republican_
> > B-8:
> > > > The
> > > > > > next
> > > > > > > > time your temper flares at the boss and you're tempted to
> > > > "yee-haw!"
> > > > > a
> > > > > > > > rebel yell, remember who lost the Civil War.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > That's 123 years after the start of said war.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > JL
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > On Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 10:11 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > > > > > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > > > > > > -----------------------
> > > > > > > > > Sender: American Dialect Society <
> > ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > >
> > > > > > > > > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: rebel yell and yeehaw
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > -------------------
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Make that "(1959)."
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > JL
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > > > The American Dialect Society -
> > http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't
> handle
> > > the
> > > > > > > truth."
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > > The American Dialect Society -
> http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle
> > the
> > > > > > truth."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle
> the
> > > > > truth."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > > truth."
> > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > truth."
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > -Wilson
> > -----
> > All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
> > come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> > -Mark Twain
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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