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

[Dan Goncharoff]

Yes, that passage reads to me like a list of snake oil replacements...

On Sat, Oct 20, 2018, 4:38 PM Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com> wrote:

> 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
> > > > >
> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<
> http://www.americandialect.org>
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<
> 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<
> http://www.americandialect.org>
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<
> 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<
> http://www.americandialect.org>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org