Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 07:46:00 EST

From: "Dennis.Preston" 22709MGR[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSU.EDU

Subject: Re: "little" and "jr"



Where I grew up (around Louisville KY in the 40's and 50's, 'little' was a

very common tag for a child (or other younger relative of) a person whose

habits, looks, or characteristics were very much like that of the elder. My

bother (Donald) was often called 'Little Andy' (after my father Andrew)

because he walked, spoke, or in general acted like him. It was especially

odd, perhaps, since I looked exactly like my father (and my brother didn't),

bnut the other behavioral characteristics were the ones that one out in

getting the 'Little Andy' moniker.

I take this practice (which I have certainly noticed outside the single

example I give above) to be obviously related to the incidental uses of

such things as 'She's a little Shakespeare' (or 'Mozart,' or 'Newt,' or

whatever).

By the way, such uses were, in my experiences, not family uses but friends of

family.

Dennis Preston

22709mgr[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]msu.edu

Changing to the clumsy, slow

preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pilot.msu.edu