Something that really bothers me is those crime shows of the 1940's avoiding saying the names of the cities where the crimes were taking place.
Often you hear, "In that hugely-populated northeastern U.S. city" or "On the outskirts of that Western metropolis" - just tell us the name of the city already!
Showing posts with label 1940s pet peeve of the day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1940s pet peeve of the day. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
1940's Pet Peeve - the other "dirty" word = belly
The other day I wrote about how the word "stink" was very seldom used until about a year before WWII ended.
There's another word like that: "belly."
I'm not so sure why the use of belly is a dirty word but if you listen closely, you can hear people start to say it on OTR and ten they will back up and say "stomach" instead (to me, "stomach" sounds like a dirty word compared to "belly"...)
This may have something to do with pregnancy, but I dunno.
Anyway, here's one example ofbelly stomach; this from Fibber McGee and Molly, April 6, 1943:
©Jimbo 2010/2011
There's another word like that: "belly."
I'm not so sure why the use of belly is a dirty word but if you listen closely, you can hear people start to say it on OTR and ten they will back up and say "stomach" instead (to me, "stomach" sounds like a dirty word compared to "belly"...)
This may have something to do with pregnancy, but I dunno.
Speaking of which - try finding a 1940's or earlier photograph of a man without a shirt on, aside from swimming.
Anyway, here's one example of
©Jimbo 2010/2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
1940's Pet Peeve of the Day - "stink" is a dirty word
In the mid 1940's and before, it appears that the word "stink" was avoided as much as possible on the airwaves.
It wasn't "dirty" but it seems it was close. It seems to be avoided at all costs on many shows, most notably on Fibber McGee and Molly. The scripts often point to the word "stink" but instead of the word being used, usually nothing will be used in it's place, only an inference to the word.
Not censorship, mind you, but "stink" was a word to be avoided.
Walter Tetley used the word a few times on the Great Gildersleeve and when he used it, he was reprimanded in some way.
By the time the war was over, "stink" seems to become an acceptable word again.
Here's a saved search for the word "stink" in the magazines available on Google Books. in 1940, the word, "stink" shows up just 6 times.
Am I the only one who has noticed this?
©Jimbo 2010/2011
It wasn't "dirty" but it seems it was close. It seems to be avoided at all costs on many shows, most notably on Fibber McGee and Molly. The scripts often point to the word "stink" but instead of the word being used, usually nothing will be used in it's place, only an inference to the word.
Not censorship, mind you, but "stink" was a word to be avoided.
Walter Tetley used the word a few times on the Great Gildersleeve and when he used it, he was reprimanded in some way.
By the time the war was over, "stink" seems to become an acceptable word again.
Here's a saved search for the word "stink" in the magazines available on Google Books. in 1940, the word, "stink" shows up just 6 times.
Am I the only one who has noticed this?
©Jimbo 2010/2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
1940's Pet Peeve of the Day: "Los Angeles"
The pronunciation of the city, "Los Angeles." I've heard some of the following pronunciations lately - and there are more than I have here.
©Jimbo 2010/2011 ©Jimbo 2010/2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
1940's pet peeve of the day
I have some ideas about "pet peeves" from the 1940's (some may actually be from the 1940's or 1950's) that I would like to get off of my chest. Thus, a new series called, "1940's pet peeve of the day."
I'm steadily going through the Aldrich Family - listening to one episode a day. There's something on there that drives me crazy. It's the pronoun, "I."
A typical exchange will be:
Sam Aldrich: Henry! Did you find your missing Latin book?
Henry: Who, I, Father?
When did "I" become a better word than "me?"
When I was in grade school, I remember the teachers telling us over and over that it was "me" and not "I" in those situations.
When I first began to relaize that OTR characters were using "I: where I had been taught to use "me" - I was flabbergasted. I still furrow my brow when listening to such shows as the Aldrich Family (seems to happen there more than any other show) but there is a bit of nostalgia there that makes me glad I can go back and listen to these things.
©Jimbo 2010/2011
I'm steadily going through the Aldrich Family - listening to one episode a day. There's something on there that drives me crazy. It's the pronoun, "I."
A typical exchange will be:
Sam Aldrich: Henry! Did you find your missing Latin book?
Henry: Who, I, Father?
When did "I" become a better word than "me?"
When I was in grade school, I remember the teachers telling us over and over that it was "me" and not "I" in those situations.
When I first began to relaize that OTR characters were using "I: where I had been taught to use "me" - I was flabbergasted. I still furrow my brow when listening to such shows as the Aldrich Family (seems to happen there more than any other show) but there is a bit of nostalgia there that makes me glad I can go back and listen to these things.
©Jimbo 2010/2011
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