[Ads-l] another bracketed "bullshit" ex.

[Jonathan Lighter]

Outstanding, G.

I also searched for "horse-dung," but there were too many literal exx.

Two possibly adumbrating passages are the following:

1803 _Washington [D.C.] Federalist_ (Sept. 9) 2 [N]: I am reminded by
this of the fable of the _horse-dung_ floating down a stream with a
parcel of Apples, and crying out "_see how we pippins swim_."

1804 _Charleston [S.C.] Courier_ (July 28) 2 [G]: Had it pleased God
to have spared the life of the reverend and ingenious Dean till this
day, he would see enough of that _litter_ and _horse dung_ ambition,
and aspiring to equality.

JL

On Sun, Sep 6, 2026 at 12:36 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> Great work, JL. Following your lead, I found "bull dung" with the
> desired sense in 1903.
>
> Date: July 16, 1903
> Newspaper: The Weekly Kansas Chief
> Newspaper Location: Troy, Kansas
> Article: (Untitled Editorial)
> Quote Page 4, Column 1
> Database: Newspapers.com
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-chief-bulldung/205411411/
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The Topeka Capital copies a bull dung editorial from an Emporia paper
> of which the following is a part: "Kansas Republicans would make a
> blunder if they fell in with the plots of a few personal enemies of
> Mulvane …" The simple ass that wrote the above is excusable on the
> ground that he is a newcomer and knows nothing about the state or its
> politics.
> [End excerpt]
> Garson
>
> On Sun, Sep 6, 2026 at 9:34 AM Jonathan Lighter
> <00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > 1910_Industrial Worker_ (Spokane, Wash.) (Sept. 10) 1 [N]: "Bull-Dung
> > Teddy," the Republican Muck Maker, "Prattler Bryan, the Nebraska
> > Wind-Bag."
> >
> > JL
> >
> > --
> > "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