Langauge and old radio: wimp

Bill Thompson was Wallace Wimple

Did Fibber McGee's nickname for Wallace Wimple prompt the term "wimp" - a meaning for a man who lacks confidence or is wishy-washy?

I think so.

But according to the Online Etymology Dictionary:

Click to enlarge

Wimpy (from Popeye) was not really a wimp; he was simply fat and had a terrible penchant for hamburgers.  Being fat and loving hamburgers doesn't make you a wimp - at least in our concept of the "light in the loafers" way.

Wallace Wimple was in fact afraid of his "big old wife" and she often beat him up. In today's terms - at least - this is a "wimp."

Similar characters [#02]

Dick LeGrand (Mr. Peavy)

Today I have a list of four similar characters.  All seemed "tired" or lacking energy and testosterone:

Waldo Binney (Dink Trout, The Life of Riley.) He was the guy who always moaned, "Oh, my aching back!" - in the mid to late 1940's.

Mr. Anderson (again, Dink Trout, husband of Mrs. Anderson, Dennis' girlfriend on A Day in the Life of Dennis Day.)  Pretty much a sissy - his wife wore the pants in the family.

Mr. Peavy (Richard Legrand, drug store owner on The Great Gildersleeve.  He was the originator of the woeful, "Well now, I wouldn't say that" line in every Gildersleeve show he was on.) It seems for the most part, Peavy was the head of his house but on 99% of every other occasion, he was a mealy-mouthed push over (although he would certainly disagree -"Well now, I wouldn't say that!")

Peavy has been known to get extremely angry. Craig Bullard, a youngster who lived near Gildersleeve, once made him so mad, he really showed his evil side (Gildersleeve episode 450513 Meet Craig Bullard - the real fun starts about 16:45 or so.)

Mel Blanc (Mailman)

Mailman (Mel Blanc of Jack Benny and Bugs Bunny/Warner Brothers' cartoon fame; Mailman appeared on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.) Yes, he was a mail man.  He never had many lines. Sadly, his lines usually weren't very funny either.

Wallace Wimple (Bill Thompson on Fibber McGee and Molly.)  Wimple always walked around with a "Bird Book" (why that's funny, I'll never know - but it is funny, anyway!) and was always complaining about his "Big ole wife" and the abuse he had to take from her.