Date: Thu, 21 Sep 1995 15:46:44 -0700
From: Allen Maberry maberry[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Subject: Re: Mouse/Mice=House/Hice
The term Web-foot predates the U of O (founded 1876, if I remember correctly)
Earliest example in Dictionary of American English (Univ. of Chicago,
1938-1944) is from 1864 in the Oregon State Journal. Term is also used in
Nash's "Two Years in Oregon" (1882).
Seems to refer more to the high amount of rainfall than to anything else.
Allen
maberry[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]u.washington.edu
Native Web-foot
On Thu, 21 Sep 1995, Jessica Sklar wrote:
Hmm... kinda mysterious... Does the message mean "One webfoot" is the nickname
of one Oregonian, and "two webfoots" is the nickname of two? Specific
Oregonians, or Oregonians in general? My only guess is that it has to do with
the U. of O., whose sports mascot is the Duck... is this a possibility?
Jess