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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009"six pack abs"
When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six pack) belly. It turned out to be the opposite. What is the origin of "six pack abs"? > When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six > pack) belly. It turned out to be the opposite. > > What is the origin of "six pack abs"? Count them: http://doubleyourgains.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/six-pack-abs-routine.jpg  SignatureSkitt (AmE) >When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six >pack) belly. It turned out to be the opposite. > >What is the origin of "six pack abs"? Look at http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BbL7u6XR3qc/SlYgesDX94I/AAAAAAAAC9I/yTMLQtMUIIE/s400/s ix-pack-abs-routine.jpg and see if you can figure it out. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida > When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six > pack) belly. It turned out to be the opposite. ... However, there's a joke. "I don't have a six-pack. [Slaps paunch] I have a whole case!" -- Jerry Friedman > When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six > pack) belly. Polar? >It turned out to be the opposite. > > What is the origin of "six pack abs"? Others have shown the picture. What I want to say is that the phrase isn't very old. Google Groups doesn't find any until August 1995. SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux >> When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six >> pack) belly. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Others have shown the picture. What I want to say is that the phrase >isn't very old. Google Groups doesn't find any until August 1995. OED has earlier occurences: DRAFT ADDITIONS FEBRUARY 2001 six, adj. and n. * six-pack n. colloq. a set of well-developed abdominal muscles; a lean, muscular midriff. 1992 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 30 Sept. C6/1 Rousseve believes his stomach muscles to be quite defined, but not quite as defined as someone with a total *six-pack. 1994 Newsday (Electronic ed.) 15 Aug., Watching Tamilee flex her biceps and show off her six-pack abs, it's hard not to feel a twinge of jealousy. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>> When I first heard the phrase "six pack abs" I thought of a bear (six >>> pack) belly. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > biceps and show off her 'six-pack' abs, it's hard not to feel a > twinge of jealousy. That sounds a bit late to me. I was pretty sure it was current when I was in college in the mid-'80s. But I can't find any actual evidence. I do, however, see that the OED's primary definition for six-pack is only cited to 1961. It goes back a bit further: [Attn Jesse Sheidlower: OED antedating] The Blatz Brewing Company of Milwaukee announced yesterday introduction of a new sleeve-carton package holding four sixteen-ounce cans of beer. It is designed to sell for less than the six-pack of ragular twelve-ounce cans. _NY Times_, 8/14/1954 I would hope that 64 ounces of beer would sell for less than 72. _Bilboard_ talks about "a six pack of Orange Crush" (4/21/1958) and "a six-pack of beer" (10/19/1959). SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |The body was wrapped in duct tape, 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |weighted down with concrete blocks Palo Alto, CA 94304 |and a telephone cord was tied |around the neck. Police suspect kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |foul play... (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ > That sounds a bit late to me. I was pretty sure it was current when I > was in college in the mid-'80s. But I can't find any actual evidence. Same here. Even "washboard abs" only seems to go back to 1988, though, so maybe it did take a few more years of anabolic supplements before six-packs rammed themselves into our consciousness. > _Bilboard_ talks about "a six pack of Orange Crush" (4/21/1958) and "a > six-pack of beer" (10/19/1959). Of course, abs wouldn't have looked like a six-pack until 1960, when the plastic rings were introduced that allowed a six-pack of cans to be laid out folded in half. ¬R > > That sounds a bit late to me. I was pretty sure it was current when I > > was in college in the mid-'80s. But I can't find any actual evidence. > > Same here. Even "washboard abs" only seems to go back to 1988, though, > so maybe it did take a few more years of anabolic supplements before > six-packs rammed themselves into our consciousness. "Washboard stomach", though, goes back to 1902, with an implication that it was a familiar phrase. "A question often asked is in regard to the methods of acquiring that peculiar muscular formation of the mid- section known as 'washboard stomach.'' /Kings of the Queensberry Realm/, by W. W. Naughton, p. 29 I see "washboard belly" back only to 1953. http://books.google.com/books?q=%22washboard+belly%22+date%3A0-1975 http://books.google.com/books?id=ddb3G7AjqPsC&pg=PA29 Heck, there aren't many hits for "abs" in the muscle sense before 1988, though they're hard to search for. I tried "abs" and "pecs" and found one from 1961. http://books.google.com/books?id=uxhKAAAAMAAJ&q=abs+pecs+date:0-1961&lr=&ei=Oi1u SrW3A5bWyATO1ZDUDg Any Bernard Wolfe fans here? -- Jerry Friedman isn't that big a fan of his. |
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