[Ads-l] fluffle

[Grant Barrett]

Tomorrow on the radio show we're going to talk with a friend of a friend of
one of the people who supposedly added "fluffle" to Wikipedia. They're
wondering if their friend was indeed part of the group that started the
word or if there is prior art. Should be interesting to hear more.

GB

On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 12:24 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Germane? Or meaningless coincidence?
>
> 1990 Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Dec. 12) A-2: Looking for the CHRISTMAS BUNNY?
> Yes! A Bunny called Fluffles IS the Christmas Bunny. He's dressed in
> holiday finery [etc.]
>
> [Ad for a plush rabbit doll.]
>
> JL
>
> On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 8:58 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > 295,000 raw Googlits.
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 6:25 PM Chris Waigl <chris at lascribe.net> wrote:
> >
> >> What a rabbit hole :) ! Moonies and "northern Canada", huh?
> >>
> >> Well, there are no wild rabbits in northern Canada, so if there's
> anything
> >> to this I'd be tempted to look into how local groups talk about snowshoe
> >> hares and Arctic hares.
> >>
> >> Now, of course, this factoid has entered the mainstream and morphed
> into a
> >> self-fulfilling prophecy.
> >>
> >> Chris
> >>
> >> On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 12:32 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> > I was recently forwarded this language factoid:
> >> >
> >> > "A group of wild rabbits is called a 'fluffle' and I've never loved
> the
> >> > English language more."
> >> > https://twitter.com/mastersrex/status/1315295446584168448
> >> >
> >> > I'm always curious how these things spread, and this one sent me down
> a
> >> > rabbit-hole, appropriately enough. Here's a timeline:
> >> >
> >> > July 30, 2007: Wikipedia user Freeridr adds an unsourced claim to the
> >> entry
> >> > for "rabbit": "A group of rabbits or hares are often called a
> 'fluffle'
> >> in
> >> > parts of Northern Canada."
> >> >
> >>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabbit&diff=prev&oldid=148126554
> >> >
> >> > Apr. 29, 2008: The text of the Wikipedia "rabbit" entry (including the
> >> > "fluffle" line) is copied over to New World Encylopedia, a site run by
> >> Sun
> >> > Myung Moon's Unification Church.
> >> >
> >>
> https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Rabbit&oldid=699288
> >> >
> >> > Feb. 17, 2010: The "fluffle" line is deleted from Wikipedia by an
> editor
> >> > ("Removed supposed naming of a group of rabbits as a 'fluffle', as I
> >> can't
> >> > verify it").
> >> >
> >>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabbit&diff=prev&oldid=344646745
> >> >
> >> > Sept. 29, 2013: Reddit user AaronM97 asks, "What's a fact you know
> that
> >> > will cheer me up?" Among the thousands of replies, user AmyEarhart
> >> submits
> >> > "a group of bunnies is called a fluffle."
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> https://web.archive.org/web/20130930183135/https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1nexqv/whats_a_fact_you_know_that_will_cheer_me_up/
> >> > https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1nexqv/comment/cci0rsz/
> >> >
> >> > Oct. 5, 2013: Thought Catalog publishes "30 Random, Interesting Facts
> >> That
> >> > Will Cheer You Up" based on the Reddit thread, including AmyEarhart's
> >> > "fluffle" submission.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> https://web.archive.org/web/20131020055608/https://thoughtcatalog.com/timmy-parker/2013/10/30-facts-that-will-cheer-you-up/
> >> >
> >> > Mar. 19, 2014: Buzzfeed publishes "64 Facts That Will Make You Feel
> >> > Incredibly Happy," which includes "a group of bunnies is called a
> >> fluffle."
> >> > The listicle links to the New World Encylopedia entry for "rabbit,"
> >> which
> >> > retained the "fluffle" line despite its removal from Wikipedia.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> https://web.archive.org/web/20140319201849/https://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/facts-that-will-make-you-feel-incredibly-happy
> >> >
> >> > And from there it multiplied like rabbits all over the place!
> >> >
> >> > --bgz
> >> >
> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Chris Waigl . chris.waigl at gmail.com . chris at lascribe.net
> >> http://eggcorns.lascribe.net . http://chryss.eu
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
>
>
> --
> "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
>

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