[Ads-l] Further Antedating of "Mad Scientist"

[John Baker]

Frankenstein was not really mad, at least in the mad scientist sense, in the original novel. Doctor Moreau (1896) or Griffin of The Invisible Man (1897) might be a candidate. 


John Baker


> On Aug 3, 2026, at 8:51 PM, Jonathan Lighter <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> 
> The larger issue for me and perhaps millions of others is not when the
> collocation "mad scientist" appeared, but when the Mad Scientist as a
> cultural figure developed from the mad scientist as a harmless
> eccentric or highly misguided weirdo.
> 
> I would guess that Viktor Frankenstein was the first Mad Scientist.
> Does anyone know when or if he was so described? (Creators of medieval
> golems were not scientists.)
> 
> BTW, the Mad Scientists on _Mystery Science Theater 2000_ were always
> referred to as "the Mads."
> 
> JL
> 
>> On Sun, Aug 2, 2026 at 10:32 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
>> <00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>> 
>> The citation below was published after the excellent citation Fred
>> found. I think the "mad scientist" is depicted as "dangerous and evil"
>> but not "insane".
>> 
>> [Begin HDSF definition]
>> mad scientist n.
>> a scientist who is insane or eccentric, esp. so as to be dangerous or
>> evil: a stock figure of melodramatic horror stories
>> [End HDSF definition]
>> 
>> Date: May 15, 1875
>> Newspaper: Lewiston Evening Journal
>> Newspaper Location: Lewiston, Maine
>> Article: City and County
>> Quote Page 3, Column 2
>> Database: GenealogyBank
>> 
>> [Bein excerpt]
>> The orioles have come and the taxidermists are after them. Can't
>> science let these beautiful birds alone—at least those that make their
>> homes in the gardens of the city? Some mad scientist attempted to
>> shoot an oriole under the chamber window of one of our citizens, early
>> Saturday morning. The citizens expostulated, and the man of science
>> withdrew.
>> [End excerpt]
>> 
>> Garson
>> 
>>> On Sun, Aug 2, 2026 at 3:45 PM Jonathan Lighter
>>> <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Not "mad" in the later nuance of "malevolently and dangerously insane."
>>> 
>>> JL
>>> 
>>> On Sun, Aug 2, 2026 at 3:30 PM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks, Fred. Now added to HDSF.
>>>> 
>>>> I note that the 1883 citation that had been the earliest in HDSF was also submitted by one Fred Shapiro.
>>>> 
>>>> Jesse Sheidlower
>>>> 
>>>> On Sun, Aug 02, 2026 at 05:31:04PM +0000, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
>>>>> mad scientist (OED 1893, Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction 1883)
>>>>> 
>>>>> 1871 Daily Patriot (Washington, DC) 21 Aug. 2/3 (Newspapers.com)
>>>>> 
>>>>> We find twenty mad scientists airing their crotchets of differential expansion, strength in weakness, and the like.  This is not testimony of experts at all, but vagary of eccentrics.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Fred Shapiro
>>>>> 
>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>>> 
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>>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>>> 
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>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> 
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>> The American Dialect Society - 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 - http://www.americandialect.org

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