[Ads-l] Antedating of Spitball v.

[James Eric Lawson]

An answer at ELU,

https://english.stackexchange.com/a/402420

mentions several early uses of 'spitball', v., with the OED meaning "to 
throw out suggestions for discussion". The columns of Jack Crosby, going 
back to at least 1950 are notable (linked and quoted in the ELU answer); 
an earlier use by S.J. Perelman in a story published in 1937 (also 
linked and quoted) may be a transitional metaphorical use based on 
schoolchild and baseball lingo.

On 5/19/24 14:28, Baker, John wrote:
> 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.""
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> John Baker
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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