[Ads-l] Further Antedating of "Bikini"

[dave@wilton.net]

I just updated the entry for "bikini" on my site last week: https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/bikini
 
The earliest reference I found to Heim's suit is this sardonic piece:
 
“Paris Bares World’s Smallest Bathing Suit and Consensus from Every Angle Is—Wow!” New York Herald Tribune (European Edition), 6 July 1946, 4. Gale Primary Sources: International Herald Tribune Historical Archive, 1887-2013.
 
"The Foreign Ministers of Great Britain, France, the United States and Soviet Russia reached agreement on reparations on the eve of a new international complications, namely, the world’s smallest bathing suit. The suit is divided into two zones, the northern zone and the southern zone. The northern zone is divided into two enclaves. Designated as the Bikini, the suit, when not worn, is carried in a blue box one and a half inches square. Experts appointed are studying the report that the suit may be passed through an ordinary finger ring. The suit has not been put on the agenda, but there is general agreement that it looks snappy on Micheline Bernardini."
 
As this is the day after Heim debuted the suit, antedatings are not likely to be found.
 
The earliest reference to a generic bikini (i.e., not Heim's design) that I've found is this:
 
Hannay, Evelyn. “To All Appearances—Resort Fashions Bow In.” San Francisco Chronicle, 16 November 1947, 13S. Readex: America’s Historical Newspapers.
 
"At St. Tropez last summer many young people slipped out of their 'bikinis' and canoed and pedalboated about off shore in their birthday suits. The red-faced police pursued them in motorboats."
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: "Nancy Friedman" <wordworking at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2022 10:35pm
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Further Antedating of "Bikini"



"Lastex" is OK: it's a type of elastic yarn introduced in the 1930s. But
"minuscule" is misspelled, as it often is.

~Nancy Friedman

On Fri, Jul 29, 2022, 7:21 PM Mark Mandel <markamandel at gmail.com> wrote:

> They really needed a copyeditor. Besides "desigend", I count three typos or
> misspellings in the second paragraph in the right-hand column:
> >>>>>
> Heim has given up the bare middle
> for swimming in favor of a *lastex*
> sheath that's guaranteed to withstand
> a fast *jacknife*. One white one is cut
> short at the back and has a fancy bust
> *decoratoin* of loosely crocheted white
> braid (no lining there).
> <<<<<
> MAM
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 29, 2022, 10:06 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Mark Mandel wrote:
> > > How does this fit, if at all, with these definitions of "brimborion"
> > (from
> > > https://www.wordnik.com/words/brimborion
> >
> > Here is a link to a clipping of the full article. The word “designed"
> > is misspelled as "desigend". The article begins with the following
> > text:
> >
> > https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106580214/brimborion-bikini/
> >
> > ...
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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

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