[Ads-l] "omigod" ca1943 (OED 1961)

[Laurence Horn]

I wonder if “omigod" pops up in what we used to call “umliterature”.  Is Arnold still on the list?

LH

> On Aug 4, 2025, at 9:20 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> wrote:
> 
> Intriguing interjection, Jeff. Here is an earlier instance with the
> desired sense.
> 
> Date: April 5, 1923
> Newspaper: Hudson Observer
> Newspaper Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
> Article: Here and There with Leo J. Heatley
> Quote Page 12, Column 6
> Database: Newspapers.com
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/jersey-observer-and-jersey-journal-omigo/178193367/
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> We had a hunch that the world was getting better, but omigod, when
> only halfway through the morning papers we got the body blow that
> convinced us that we're wrong
> [End excerpt]
> 
> "Omigod" was used as a pseudonym / signature in July 1913, but this
> does not match the desired sense.
> 
> Date: July 3, 1913
> Newspaper: The Nome Daily Nugget
> Newspaper Location: Nome, Alaska
> Quote Page 3, Column 1
> Database: Newspapers.com
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/889910914/?match=1&terms=omigod
> 
> "Omigod" was also used as a pseudonym / signature in September 1913,
> but this does not match the desired sense.
> 
> Date: September 29, 1913
> Newspaper: The Alaska Socialist
> Newspaper Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
> Quote Page 2
> Database: Newspapers.com
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/925418335/?match=1&terms=omigod
> 
> 
> Garson
> 
> On Sun, Aug 3, 2025 at 9:25 PM Jeff Prucher
> <000000b93183dc86-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>> 
>> Chanticleer (fanzine), issue 1ed. Walt Liebscherp. 23 Hoopla! Let's throw the annual midwest conference and invite Schmarje andDegler!! ((Omigod, anything but that)).
>> https://fanac.org/fanzines/Chanticleer/chanticleer_1_liebscher_1943_us.pdf
>> The double parens indicate editorial commentary, so the writer of "omigod" is presumably Walt Liebscher.
>> The issue is undated. I actually stumbled across this cite while I was trying to date the issue. Internal evidence suggests not earlier than November 1943 (there is a "news item" with a date of 11-4-43. Fanzine fandom seems to have solidified 1943 as the date (see, e.g. https://fancyclopedia.org/wiki/Chanticleer, https://fanac.org/fanzines/Chanticleer/, and the closer-in-time Fanzine Index from 12/1952, which gives it an estimated date of 1943, https://fanac.org/fanzines/References/pe_index.pdf).
>> Jeff Prucher
>> 
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> 
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