[Ads-l] Antedating "Easter egg"

[Rich Lowenthal]

It's not computing, but this seems to be a similar metaphorical use of 
"Easter Egg." From the introduction to "Slow Days, Fast Company" by Eve 
Babitz (1977):

"Since it's impossible to get this one I'm in love with to read anything 
unless it's about or to him, I'm going to riddle this book with Easter 
Egg italics so that this time it won't take him two and a half years to 
read my book like it did the first one. The seduction of a non-reader is 
how I plan to tie up L.A."

Rich Lowenthal

------ Original Message ------
>From "Jonathan Lighter" 
<00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 4/6/2026 07:30:39
Subject Re: Antedating "Easter egg"

>Showing my age, Bill.
>
>JL
>
>On Mon, Apr 6, 2026 at 12:32 AM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>  >   "Early 1570s." Heh heh.
>>  >
>>  >   JL
>>  >
>>  >   On Sat, Apr 4, 2026 at 9:28 PM Bill Mullins <amcombill at hotmail.com>
>>  wrote:
>>  >
>>  >> In recognition of tomorrow's holiday  . . .
>>  >>
>>  >> OED (2) 1986
>>  >> The OED suggests that the term comes from computing.  Online sources
>>  claim
>>  >> that it comes from the world of video games, and state that the 1981
>>  cite
>>  >> below is the origin of the term (although actual Easter eggs are
>>  documented
>>  >> back into the early 1970s).
>>
>>  I should have been more clear.  Jon is right — the classical Easter Eggs,
>>  the
>>  decorated ones given on Easter and that are presumably laid by the Easter
>>  Bunny,
>>  go back to the 1570s.
>>
>>  The ones that I was referring to, that go back to the early 1970s, are
>>  examples of
>>  the hidden bonus information that the OED (2) entry applies to.  They
>>  existed for years
>>  before they came to be called "Easter Eggs."
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>

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