As always at the New Year, it is interesting to see some words that are celebrating their hundredth birthday, some older than you think and others younger. These are the first appearance in print that the OED has found.
arms race, n.
1. Competition between nations, regimes, etc., in the accumulation, development, or testing of weapons, esp. nuclear weapons.
1921 San Francisco Business 14 Oct. 5
Crushing burden entailed through international arms race.
atom bomb, n.
A bomb which derives its destructive power from the sudden release of a large amount of energy by fission of heavy atomic nuclei, causing damage through heat, blast, and radioactivity. Abbreviated A-bomb. Cf. atomic bomb n., hydrogen bomb n. at hydrogen n. Compounds 1a(b).With reference to quot. 1921, H. G. Wells's use is cited at quot. 1914 at atomic bomb n.
1921 Color Trade Jrnl. 9 2/2
There is no remedy excepting that of blowing up Paris by an atom bomb as forecasted by H. G. Wells some years ago.
blankie, n.
nursery and colloquial (chiefly North American).A blanket, esp. a child's security blanket.
1921 L. W. Kline & C. J. France in G. S. Hall Aspects Child Life & Educ. 257
Had a little blanket she would not go to sleep without. She always cried ‘My blankie, my blankie,’ till she got it.
booze cruise, n.
colloquial.1. Originally U.S. History. During the Prohibition era: a cruise on which passengers were taken just far enough from the shoreline to be outside U.S. jurisdiction, so that they could buy and consume alcohol legally; (also, more generally) a boat trip on which the passengers drink a considerable amount of alcohol, often as part of a dinner-dance or similar event.
bugger-all, n. and adj.
slang (chiefly British, Australian, and New Zealand).
Nothing at all, absolutely nothing.
1921 Notes & Queries 19 Nov. 418/2
The word ‘nothing’ was replaced in the Army by ‘b——r-all’—‘I did b——r-all’; ‘There was b——r-all to eat’.
comparison shopping, n.
Originally U.S.The action of comparing (the prices of) the same or similar products or services as offered by different retailers, manufacturers, etc. Also in extended use. Frequently attributive.
1921 M. H. Tolman Positions of Responsibility in Department Stores ii. §D. 84
Two comparison shopping executives had been secretaries to members of the management.
ee bah gum, int. and adj.
A. int.English regional (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire). Expressing surprise, delight, wonder, etc.
1921 R. P. Weston & B. Lee in Catal. Copyright Entries: Pt. 3
(Libr. of Congr. Copyright Office)
16 305/2
(title of song)
Eeh! by gum, it were a real fine do!
fascism, n. 1.
a. Usually with capital initial. A nationalist political movement that controlled the government of Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini (1883–1945); the principles or ideology of the fascisti (fascista n. 1a). See also fascist n. 1a, Fascismo n., and cf. sense 1b. Now historical.The movement grew out of the nationalist fasci which became prominent at the end of the First World War (1914–18), esp. with the formation of the militantly anti-communist and anti-socialist Fasci di Combattimento by Mussolini in 1919. After the formation of a coherently organized Fascist party in 1921, Mussolini became prime minister in 1922, leading to the eventual establishment of a totalitarian Fascist state.
1921 Syracuse
(N.Y.)
Herald 1 Feb. 2/3
No doubt fascism is a transitory phenomenon.
Hicksville, n.
Forms:
α. 19– Hickville.
β. 19– Hicksville.Originally and chiefly U.S.
(The type of) an unsophisticated, rural, small town.
1921 E. O'Neill Straw i. ii. 46
Making a note that a tug boat towed two barges loaded with coal up
the river, that Mrs. Perkins spent a weekend with relatives in
Hickville.
junk mail, n.
Originally North American.1. Unwanted or unsolicited mail or post, typically in the form of circulars, advertisements, etc., sent to a large number of addresses.
1921 Legislative, Executive, & Judicial Appropriation Bill: Hearing before U.S. Senate Comm. on Appropriations (66th Congr., 2nd Sess.) II. 2353
What we call the junk mail comes in just the same. There is no let-up at all in that, and all of that has to be handled.
oops, int. and n.
Etymology: Perhaps shortened < upsidaisy int. (compare whoops int. and quot. 1925 at that entry), or perhaps a natural exclamation which has become confused with upsidaisy int.
colloquial. A. int.Expressing apology, dismay, or surprise, esp. after an obvious but usually minor mistake.
1921 Washington Post 1 Nov. 21/4
Oops, muh dear, it's in the last where the dirty work takes place.
ringtone, n.
Telecommunications.1. The sound produced in a caller's telephone to indicate that a connection with the number dialled has been made and the called phone is ringing; = ringing tone n. at ringing n.1 Compounds.
1921 Kansas City
(Missouri)
Star 1 Jan. 9
Listen for the busy signal or the reverting ring tone which tells you your party is being rung.
tear-jerker, n.
colloquial (originally U.S.).Something calculated to evoke sadness or sympathy, usually a sentimental film, play, song, story, etc. Also applied to a person and, rarely, to an event.
1921 Double Dealer II. 143/2
But no one today, I believe, mistakes his [sc. James Whitcomb Riley's] productions for anything but somewhat shallow, fairly easy tear-jerkers.
to-do, adj.
Originally U.S.Chiefly in to-do list: designating a (notional) list of tasks requiring attention or completion, sometimes ordered by priority. Also: designating an item in such a list.
1921 Fort Wayne
(Indiana)
Jrnl. 6 Nov. iii. 2/8
Again she consulted her ‘To Do’ list.
zaftig, adj.
Etymology: < Yiddish zaftik, literally ‘juicy’ < German saftig juicy (already in Middle High German as saffec , saffic ) < Saft juice (see sap n.1) + -ig -y suffix1.
North American. colloquial.Of a woman: having a full, rounded figure; plump.
1921 Broadway Brevities Dec. 20
Isn't Diana Allen getting very zoftig?
Photo by Natalie Dmay on Unsplash
Love this list.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting. I find your posts so informative!! Thank you. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteI think of "to-do" in two other contexts. The first is a situation in which there is a flurry of activity, as in "there was a great to-do getting all the bouqets sorted out for the bridesmaids". The second is more of a stretch, being the "honey do" list as in "honey, you need to unplug the drain and wash the car". I rather doubt the latter is in the OED.
ReplyDeleteThat "to-do" is much older, dating from 1330 .
ReplyDeleteWhich word is the cat photo connected to? Blankie?
ReplyDeleteblankie, yes.
DeleteIs the cat on the mailbox real or a sculpture?
ReplyDelete