[Ads-l] Mae West (life jacket)

[Baker, John]

Note also that there are examples going back to 1929 of “Mae West” to mean breast (a usage that probably influenced Mae West = life jacket).  So presumably rhyming slang, but rhyming slang that was buttressed by Mae West’s status as an attractive Hollywood star (albeit one who was neither as attractive nor as busty as some other stars).


John Baker



From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2024 3:17 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Mae West (life jacket)

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Rhyming slang for "life vest" is my guess.

Mae West was not especially busty.

JL

On Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 2:45 PM James Landau <
00000c13e57d49b8-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu<mailto:00000c13e57d49b8-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu>> wrote:

> two different etymologies for "Mae West" meaning life jacket:
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=yu9H0Hv4Ot4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=operation+mincemeat&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjepPSm0PeHAxU0FFkFHSJ3IQIQ6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=rhyming%20slang&f=false<https://books.google.com/books?id=yu9H0Hv4Ot4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=operation+mincemeat&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjepPSm0PeHAxU0FFkFHSJ3IQIQ6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=rhyming%20slang&f=false>
>
> Ben Macintyre _Operation Mincemeat_ New York: Harmony Books, 2010 ISBN
> 978-0-307-45327-3, page 168
> "The yellow military [life] jackets were known as "Mae Wests," from
> rhyming slang for "breasts." When fully inflated, the rubber jacket gave
> the wearer a distinctly busty look reminiscent, if you happened to be a
> sex-starved soldier, of the curvaceous film star."
> Which etymology is correct, rhyming slang or the film star?
> James Landau
> jjjrlandau at netscape.com<mailto:jjjrlandau at netscape.com>
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<http://www.americandialect.org>
>


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