Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 14:37:31 -0400

From: Jerry Miller millerj[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]FRANKLINCOLL.EDU

Subject: The Quayling of American Usage?



A colleague of mine from the English department asked over lunch today if I

remembered what Indiana's illustrious bad-speller, Dan Quayle, once tried to

do as a U.S. senator to make Merriam-Webster drop the second definition of

"hoosier" (as a general term for an uncouth, unpolished person) from its

dictionary.

Does anybody out there remember that? I'd appreciate hearing what you recall

of that incident, which I did not recall but, of course, was not at all

surprised to hear. I did remember a thread on this list sometime back about

the origins of the word "hoosier" (for residents of our fair state--you may

interpret "fair" any way you wish), but I don't intend to open that one up

again (although my colleague is convinced that the tale of it deriving from

a boating term, "hoozer," used along the north side of the Ohio River, is

the most likely origin, not the "whooosthere?" theory.

Any illumination will be greatly appreciated.



Jerry Miller

Pulliam School of Journalism

Franklin College (Ind.)

millerj[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]franklincoll.edu