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

[Baker, John]

Presumably a reference to the following post from me:

Here’s further evidence that “bee[‘]s knees” was a more or less established term before it came to be widely used as a superlative.  This is from the Washington (Iowa) Democrat, Aug. 20, 1919 (NewspaperArchive), citing the Grinnell Register:

“The Register doesn’t feel like dignifying this article by putting it in the editorial column, but it wishes to say, for the benefit of local wits, that this office doesn’t do a retail business in oil of bumble feathers, pickled bees knees, left hand monkey wrenches, or frosted rabbit tracks.  The number of kids that have stopped the Register man in the past few days looking for these novelties is becoming somewhat annoying.—Grinnell Register.”


John Baker

From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Saturday 20 October 2018 10:22 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: the bee's knees (1920)

I don't think I understand the question.


JL

On Sat, Oct 20, 2018 at 8:52 AM Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> > > >
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