[Ads-l] Antedating of Spitball v.

[Baker, John]

The OED has 1955 for the verb to spitball, meaning to throw out suggestions for discussion.  Here is an earlier example, from an article on television business jargon on page 49 of The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Apr. 16, 1953 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers), entitled "TV ('The Business') Lexicon," by Herbert Mitgang:  "Spitballing - Thinking out loud.  "Let me just spitball a few thoughts off the top of my head while I'm on my feet.""


John Baker




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