[Ads-l] the bee's knees (1920)

[Dan Goncharoff]

What about the list of "novelties", really false items, that included
"bee's knees"?

On Sat, Oct 20, 2018, 8:48 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> To be a little more precise, "the bee's knees" (and similar expressions)
> mean "something extraordinary or superlative."  Some early exx. imply
> frustration or amazement rather than appreciation. (Of the sort, "Ain't
> that the bee's knees?")
>
> "The berries" was used similarly.
>
> JL
>
> On Sat, Oct 20, 2018 at 8:42 AM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > So "bee's knees" went from a thing that doesn't exist (but con men try to
> > convince you does) to a thing that does exist but is exceptionally rare?
> >
> > On Sat, Oct 20, 2018, 4:31 AM Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Another non-superlative use, in a nonsense anatomy lecture:
> > >
> > > "The kidneys are much bigger than a bee's knees and much the shape of
> > > kidney beans."
> > >
> > > (Lancaster) Wisconsin Herald, Jan. 24, 1846, 1:3. Am. Hist. Newsp.
> > >
> > >
> > > SG
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > 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