[Lexicog] Words formed on the pattern "participle - ing + first name"

[Fritz Goerling]

I  found the answer myself on the Internet: 
 
The earliest use of the phrase was in a work by William Blake published in
1818. In his case, he was actually referring to some sort of real
anti-Christ. Since then, it has taken on the meaning of anyone who moves
around cringingly or secretively. 
 
The one who thought it referred to a plant said he was mistaken. He had
thought of "creeping Jenny" : 

creeping Jenny - n.

a loosestrife vine [syn: creeping Charlie, Lysimachia nummularia]

Fritz Goerling

 

 
What does that mean? I asked a number of American colleagues. None knew of
the
expression. Some thought of blasphemy, another one thought this was the name
of a plant.
 
Fritz
 
 
Creeping Jesus.
 
Margaret





On 11/16/05 3:06 AM, "Fritz Goerling" <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:



Recently I corresponded with someone on this list about the meaning of a
German
compound word following the pattern 'verb/noun + a first name as a suffix,'
like:

Zappelphilipp = a boy who can't sit still
Laberheini = rambling person (Heini is short for Heinrich)
Heulsuse = someone (man or woman) who cries a lot (Suse is short for
Susanne) 

I am interested in knowing how productive this kind of word formation is in
English.
I am not looking for examples like "slick Willie, tricky Dick, nervous
Nelly, honest Abe,"
some of which have become more or less common expressions. I am interested
in examples of the kind 'participle -ing + first name' which seem to
correspond
to the German pattern mentioned above. Examples would be "smoking Joe" (for
the
boxer Joe Frazier), "studying Jesse," "peeping Tom," "doubting Thomas",
 especially if they have "made it" to become common expressions and are
included in the dictionary.

Fritz Goerling

 

 
 
 
 

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