[Ads-l] congresscritter

[Jonathan Lighter]

Thanks, Garson.

There are lots of newspaper exx. in recent years only.

J

On Sun, Jan 18, 2026 at 11:17 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> Interesting topic, JL. Here is a match in 1976 within a piece by a
> prominent science fiction author.
>
> Date: December 1976
> Volume 37, Number 9
> Periodical: Galaxy Science Fiction
> Article: Science Fact: A Step Farther Out: That Buck Rogers Stuff
> Author: Jerry Pournelle PhD
> Start Page 44, Quote Page 45, Column 1
> Publisher: UPD Publishing Corporation, New York
> Database: Internet Archive
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> I expect NASA has some nominal charge for SPINOFF 1976, but you could
> probably get one free through your Congresscritter.
> [End excerpt]
>
> A precursor appeared in 1945. The phrase "Congress Critter" was used
> as a label for all of Congress instead of an individual
> congressperson. Congress was depicted as a wild animal which was
> difficult to halter.
>
> Date: February 6, 1945
> Newspaper: The Morning Herald
> Newspaper Location: Uniontown, Pennsylvania
> Article: Washington Farm Reporter
> Quote Page 4, Column 3
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/image/63635524/?match=1&terms=%22congress%20critter%22
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Administration Fails To Halter Congress Critter
> The month-old Congress is kicking up its heels and it doesn't give a
> hoot who knows it is going to be mighty hard to handle. The first
> Administration effort to get a halter on the critter last week proved
> futile.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Bary Popik also explored this topic, and Popik found that Jerry
> Pournelle used the expression in 1979.
> https://barrypopik.com/blog/congresscritter_congress_critter
>
> Garson
>
> On Sun, Jan 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM Jonathan Lighter
> <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Not in MW.   'A member of Congress.'
> >
> > 2026 Heather Cox Richardson, on _The Best People_ (MSNOW TV) (Jan. 18):
> > People were supposed to have access to...speeches from their
> > congresscritters.
> >
> > 1978 _Forks [Wash.] Forum-Peninsula Herald_ (Nov. 2) 1 [Newspapers.com]:
> As
> > more and more congresscritters get involved in administration through
> > budgeting.
> >
> > J
> >
> >
> > --
> > "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
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 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