[Ads-l] Sad news: former ADS-L member Samuel Clements

[Shapiro, Fred]

We have developed an admirable cadre of historical-lexicographical researchers.  I am impressed every week by the postings of people who are more clever than myself.  Sam was one of the earliest contributors to our efforts, and his passing is a great loss.

Fred Shapiro


________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2025 4:50 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Sad news: former ADS-L member Samuel Clements

Sam and I had a lively discussion twenty years ago re "pickle-puss."
Without much prompting, he dug out a couple of antedatings for the
then-viable HDAS III.

In Sam's memory, here's one that's even earlier:

1935 _Harrisburg [Pa.] Sunday Courier_ (Nov. 24) 12 [Newspapers.com] :
[Radio star Fred] Allen, called "pickle puss" by a member of his troupe, is
twice as good on the screen as over the ethereal waves.

JL

On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 11:50 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> This information is somber but thank you for sharing it, Bonnie.
> Sam provided helpful research and commentary on numerous quotations. I
> particularly recall his aid while researching these three topics:
>
> Dialogue Origin: “How Old Cary Grant?” “Old Cary Grant Fine, How You?”
> Quote Origin: The ‘t’ Is Silent, as in Harlow
> Quote Origin: Not a Book To Be Lightly Thrown Aside. Should Be Thrown
> with Great Force
>
> Both Sam and Bonnie did great work on the third topic.
> Godspeed
> Garson
>
> On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 10:52 PM Bonnie Taylor-Blake
> <00001a89b77a7850-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > I don't recall this news being announced here before, so I thought I'd
> > share that former ADS-L poster Sam Clements has passed away.
> >
> > https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beaconjournal.com%2Fobituaries%2F0001048110-01&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205035543%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LEXuTSCkzfbNUM7D2e2jiPkZjkQLzBqmPajt6Jg%2FPuE%3D&reserved=0<https://www.beaconjournal.com/obituaries/0001048110-01>
> >
> > (There's another great photo of him at
> > https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billowfuneralhomes.com%2Fobituaries%2FSamuel-ClementsIII&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205055809%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4525Dqm5Ss%2Fys3lQLbfOeeV71KOUD8fOwfslmC2r5DQ%3D&reserved=0)<https://www.billowfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Samuel-ClementsIII>
> >
> > As old-timers will recall, Sam contributed significantly on a myriad
> > of topics and was just an all-around good guy.
> >
> > I was fortunate to have met him elsewhere on the internet in the late
> > '90s. Among other things, we shared interests in North Carolina
> > barbeque and "the whole nine yards." (I followed Sam here 20 years ago
> > when he suggested I join up and I'm glad I did.)
> >
> > Best to all,
> > Bonnie
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205069314%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tnYsZ97ny6qTWkk4JEkGxVhCcp97Lb8Vj4A9eS2HmWs%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205082849%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MokeOwIq0Sd4CiBpPnQGgJ08W3vVWaa9XbNUD8QMXds%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>
>


--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205101287%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bZIoc0Ig%2Fg2RAbs%2BWh8YfS8WA%2BFJTa39T%2BOLZbkXncU%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>

________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2025 4:50 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Sad news: former ADS-L member Samuel Clements

Sam and I had a lively discussion twenty years ago re "pickle-puss."
Without much prompting, he dug out a couple of antedatings for the
then-viable HDAS III.

In Sam's memory, here's one that's even earlier:

1935 _Harrisburg [Pa.] Sunday Courier_ (Nov. 24) 12 [Newspapers.com] :
[Radio star Fred] Allen, called "pickle puss" by a member of his troupe, is
twice as good on the screen as over the ethereal waves.

JL

On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 11:50 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> This information is somber but thank you for sharing it, Bonnie.
> Sam provided helpful research and commentary on numerous quotations. I
> particularly recall his aid while researching these three topics:
>
> Dialogue Origin: “How Old Cary Grant?” “Old Cary Grant Fine, How You?”
> Quote Origin: The ‘t’ Is Silent, as in Harlow
> Quote Origin: Not a Book To Be Lightly Thrown Aside. Should Be Thrown
> with Great Force
>
> Both Sam and Bonnie did great work on the third topic.
> Godspeed
> Garson
>
> On Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 10:52 PM Bonnie Taylor-Blake
> <00001a89b77a7850-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > I don't recall this news being announced here before, so I thought I'd
> > share that former ADS-L poster Sam Clements has passed away.
> >
> > https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beaconjournal.com%2Fobituaries%2F0001048110-01&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205035543%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LEXuTSCkzfbNUM7D2e2jiPkZjkQLzBqmPajt6Jg%2FPuE%3D&reserved=0<https://www.beaconjournal.com/obituaries/0001048110-01>
> >
> > (There's another great photo of him at
> > https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billowfuneralhomes.com%2Fobituaries%2FSamuel-ClementsIII&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205055809%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4525Dqm5Ss%2Fys3lQLbfOeeV71KOUD8fOwfslmC2r5DQ%3D&reserved=0)<https://www.billowfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Samuel-ClementsIII>
> >
> > As old-timers will recall, Sam contributed significantly on a myriad
> > of topics and was just an all-around good guy.
> >
> > I was fortunate to have met him elsewhere on the internet in the late
> > '90s. Among other things, we shared interests in North Carolina
> > barbeque and "the whole nine yards." (I followed Sam here 20 years ago
> > when he suggested I join up and I'm glad I did.)
> >
> > Best to all,
> > Bonnie
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205069314%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tnYsZ97ny6qTWkk4JEkGxVhCcp97Lb8Vj4A9eS2HmWs%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205082849%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MokeOwIq0Sd4CiBpPnQGgJ08W3vVWaa9XbNUD8QMXds%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>
>


--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7C81ed020d84bd47f41abb08ddb03c3b3c%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638860495205101287%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bZIoc0Ig%2Fg2RAbs%2BWh8YfS8WA%2BFJTa39T%2BOLZbkXncU%3D&reserved=0<http://www.americandialect.org/>

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