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While examining the following (to which I was led by a posting by mendo)
http://www.pointarena.org/Pretty.htm
I was reminding of a subject I have recently thought I should write a post about: H. L. Mencken's comments about the word "babe":
From the chapter "The Nature of Slang" in *The American Language*:
<quote>
The late George Ade, in 1935, attempted a list of substitutes for such words as *girl, married, idiot, begone* and *drunk*, arranging them in categories of "old," "later" and "latest." Most of the terms he entered under the last heading are now almost forgotten, *e.g., cutie, babe, eyeful, pip* and *wow* for a pretty girl.
<unquote>
I personally am happy that *babe* has come roaring back. I find *fabulous babe* says it better than, say, *voluptuous woman*
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