The helmsman downward turned a troubled glance,
And muttered: ‘Gods! I would he kept his dreams
Unto himself, and let not me have them!
Old moonbat! hath got off the peg of reason.’
This sort of seems like the right context, even.
MarkB:
December 26th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
Wikipedia claims a ‘moonbat’ reference in 1996, although it’s behind a paywall.
Judy:
November 7th, 2014 at 8:42 am
My husband tells me he first heard “wing-nut” for both right wing and liberal usage as part of Mad Magazine satire (1960s?) on how to build a political machine. Evidently it included planks, and screws as well as a reference about “who gets the shaft.” I have been unable to find the original source, but I would love to read it.
kevrob:
September 23rd, 2016 at 12:53 am
Frank Zappa used “wing nuts” in the lyric of “Billy The Mountain.”
And TO THIS VERY DAY, ‘Wing Nuts’ and Data Reduction Clerks alike, speak in reverent whispers about that fateful night when TEST STAND #1 and THE ROCKET SLED ITSELF . . . (We have ignition!) . . . got LUNCHED! I said LUNCHED! (Lunched!) By a FAMOUS MOUNTAIN-IN and his SMALL, WOODEN WIFE. – from the LP, “Just Another Band From L.A.” (1972)
Patty:
March 4th, 2022 at 8:18 am
Thank you for putting so much time and energy into this history of the term wing nut. I do enjoy learning of the origin (or speculation as to origin) of terms. God bless you.
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Ross Presser:
March 29th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
There’s a lone 19th occurence of moonbat:
http://bit.ly/fz4nXb
The helmsman downward turned a troubled glance,
And muttered: ‘Gods! I would he kept his dreams
Unto himself, and let not me have them!
Old moonbat! hath got off the peg of reason.’
This sort of seems like the right context, even.
MarkB:
December 26th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
Wikipedia claims a ‘moonbat’ reference in 1996, although it’s behind a paywall.
Judy:
November 7th, 2014 at 8:42 am
My husband tells me he first heard “wing-nut” for both right wing and liberal usage as part of Mad Magazine satire (1960s?) on how to build a political machine. Evidently it included planks, and screws as well as a reference about “who gets the shaft.” I have been unable to find the original source, but I would love to read it.
kevrob:
September 23rd, 2016 at 12:53 am
Frank Zappa used “wing nuts” in the lyric of “Billy The Mountain.”
And TO THIS VERY DAY, ‘Wing Nuts’ and Data Reduction Clerks alike, speak in reverent whispers about that fateful night when TEST STAND #1 and THE ROCKET SLED ITSELF . . . (We have ignition!) . . . got LUNCHED! I said LUNCHED! (Lunched!) By a FAMOUS MOUNTAIN-IN and his SMALL, WOODEN WIFE. – from the LP, “Just Another Band From L.A.” (1972)
Patty:
March 4th, 2022 at 8:18 am
Thank you for putting so much time and energy into this history of the term wing nut. I do enjoy learning of the origin (or speculation as to origin) of terms. God bless you.