End of ADS-L Digest - 15 Sep 1995 to 16 Sep 1995

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There are 7 messages totalling 140 lines in this issue.



Topics of the day:



 1. going postal

 2. Usage: "any more" (fwd) (3)

 3. Flip a (was Going Postal)

 4. Mondegreens (2)



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Date:  Sun, 17 Sep 1995 00:17:16 -0400

From:  ALICE FABER <faber[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HASKINS.YALE.EDU>

Subject: going postal



With regard to "going postal", someone related to the most recent (or most

recent -1) episode of a former postal worker taking out his outrage by

shooting up his former post office. Unfortunately, a data-base search over the

past 10-15 years would reveal a number of episodes of this sort. I think the

expression "going postal" reflects in part a stereotype that this behavior is

much more typical of former postal workers than of former insurance

salespeople. As for dating the expression, I'm sure I heard it before 1994.

I'm also sure that I heard it first from my sister, whom I used to think of as

the source of all new expressions in English. She now works in north central

Connecticut, but before 1992 she lived in eastern NY, with extensive work

contacts (through the state office for her department) in Syracuse, NY.



Alice Faber