[Ads-l] Early (?) infixing

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The following antedates the 1909 citation in the OED entry for
expletive infixed instances of 'absolutely' which I posted previously.

Date: March 24, 1906
Periodical: Notes and Queries
Topic: Portmanteau Words and Phrases
Correspondent: Chas. A Bernau

https://books.google.com/books?id=aGYEAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Abso-blooming%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
"Abso-(blooming)-lutely" is atrocious, but worth recording on account
of its ugliness.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Wed, Nov 30, 2022 at 1:22 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting topic, Ben.
> The Oxford English Dictionary has pertinent information within the
> entry about 'absolutely'.
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> absolutely, adv. and int.
> B. int. colloquial.
> 2. With an expletive infixed for humorous emphasis, as
> abso-blessed-lutely, abso-bloody-lutely, abso-blooming-lutely, etc.
> 1909   R. E. Beach Silver Horde xi. 147   'Did you rustle this money
> without any help?' he demanded. 'Abso-blooming-lutely!'
> 1912   A. M. N. Lyons Clara xxiv. 265   His Information was
> abso-blessed-lutely good and all the very latest; right Up-to-Date.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Wed, Nov 30, 2022 at 10:54 AM Ben Yagoda <byagoda at udel.edu> wrote:
> >
> > From Walt McDougall, “Old Days on the World,” American Mercury, January 1925. McDougall, an illustrator, is writing about his time on The World in the 1880s and ‘90s.
> >
> >  “[Joseph] Pulitzer and [John A.] Cockerill were the most profane men I have ever encountered. I learned much from them, for their joint vocabulary was extensive and in some respects unique. When J. P. was dictating an editorial upon some pet topic, such as Collis P. Huntington's ill-gotten wealth, Jay Gould's infamous railroad wrecking or Cyrus Field's income, his speech was so interlarded with sulphurous and searing phrases that the whole staff shuddered. He was the first man I ever heard who split a word to insert an oath. He did it often, and his favorite was ‘indegoddamnpendent.’”
> >
> > Ben
> >
> > www.benyagoda.com
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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