[Ads-l] Noun: Hump day

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The OED has an entry for "hump day" meaning the midpoint of the work
week, i.e., Wednesday. The first OED citation is from 1959.

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/hump-day_n

Today, Barry Popik x-tweeted a citation for "hump day" dated March 24, 1957.

https://twitter.com/barrypopik/status/1730123256860914156
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-idaho-statesman-hump-day-wednesd/136024366/

Below is a citation with the desired sense in 1956.

Date: March 29, 1956
Newspaper: The Houston Post
Newspaper Location: Houston, Texas
Article: Post Card
Author: George Fuermann
Section 3, Quote Page 1, Column 1
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt - double check for OCR errors]
HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN A MONTH OF HUMP DAYS--The Weather Eye, Conoco's
paper, has a note on the enrichment of the language which we share
with all working people. First, you may recall "TGIF" from school
days--"Thank God it's Friday."

"Hump Day" is the newer key to hope, being the name for Wednesday, the
middle of the week, which leaves only Thursday and Friday to work.
[End excerpt]

Barry also clipped a precursor citation for "Summer Hump Day" which
refers to the date June 19, 1955; apparently, this was the midpoint of
the summer session of Vacation Bible School in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/oklahoma-city-star-summer-hump-day-on/136024339/

I found another precursor in February 1956. The term "hump day"
referred to the midpoint of a seven week period.

Date: February 24, 1956
Newspaper: The Cincinnati Post
Newspaper Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Article: End of "Seventh Week" Time To Be Merry
Author: Rosalie Perez
Quote Page 28, Column 6
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
Over the Hump

The co-ops work up to seventh week from the day of registration,
talking about it, worrying about it and forcing social calendars
toward an arrangement which allows the upmost of studying at the end
of sixth week.

THE ORDEAL of a school section is so strenuous that many co-ops
celebrate "hump day". They are over the hump at noon Wednesday of
fourth week.
[End excerpt]

Garson

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