Callipygian

[David Casseres]

Far be it from me to take any glory away from our Author, but the word
"callipygian" was coined in the late 18th century, according to my
dictionary.  Pynchon can't be one of the first to use it.  I think I
knew the word before I ever heard of Pynchon.

On 5/18/06, Dave Monroe <monropolitan at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear Annie: I saw the letter from "Not Knowing in
> Illinois," who asked how to identify her child's
> ethnic background on registrations or applications.
>
> Jef Mallett had another solution in his comic strip,
> "Frazz." A multiracial child complained to Frazz that
> he didn't like the race question on a form because he
> resented the question and he was of mixed race. Frazz
> told the kid that when asked that question, he always
> put down "Callipygian."
>
> I did that myself in an application and I got the
> position. "Callipygian" means having a shapely bottom.
> Burbank, Calif.
>
> Dear Burbank: You CAN learn something from comics. One
> of the first uses of "callipygian," by the way, was by
> Thomas Pynchon in his book "Gravity's Rainbow." We
> think unusual words are worth learning. Impress your
> friends.
>
> http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/living/14597602.htm
>
> "Always baiting his master in hopes of getting a
> leather-keen stripe or two across those dusky
> Afro-Scandinavian buttocks, which combine the
> callipygian rondure observed among the races of the
> Dark Continent with the taut and noble musculature of
> sturdy Olaf, our blond Northern cousin."  (GR, Pt. I,
> p. 69)
>
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