The OED is looking for the first mullet, but they need documented proof the mullet is really of pre 1994 vintage! Take it easy Rooster, this contest can't be won with that picture of your coiffure at the New Year's Eve Tractor pull ca. 1993. This is for the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). That means you have to have a published example of the earliest usage of the word mullet. You see, the work of a dictionary publisher is never done. Old words take on new meanings, and new words are constantly being created. So you can imagine that the researchers at the OED have their work cut out for them. The OED has long relied on volunteers to help find examples of first usage for words, and they have just put out a new call for action. They have a specific list of words they are looking for. Among them: mullet, cyborg, porky, full monty, to bonk (sexual intercourse). If you can provide documented examples of earlier usage for these words or any of the words on this list, you can go down in history as one of the illustrious contributors to the greatest dictionary in the English language, or any language for that matter.Me, I've got a potential lead for the boys down at the OED on the root of the word mullet... but that doesn't help because it isn't a published source. I have read several histories of the mullet. The first history says of the word mullet, "Mullet is actually a compound word combining the words "mull" to ponder, and "et" a Polish suffix meaning eternally." Thus we gather the mullet is the haircut of learned men and women, hmm, perhaps I was onto something when I sported a mullet back in the late 80's to early 90's. The next history says that the word mullet is a reference to the movie Cool Hand Luke, where all southern gentlemen with long hair are called "mullet heads." I don't know who is right, but when I lay my hands on a published reference to the word from pre 1994 I will have cemented my place in the hallowed halls of mullet lore forever and ever. Amen.
References
- The OED's request for help
- A wonderful book about one of the more interesting ametur contributors to the OED
- Mullet Haiku
No comments:
Post a Comment