![]() ![]() On the other hand, Tony Thorne, The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang (1990), and Robert Hendrickson, The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, revised edition (1997), assert that the promotional senses of hype have their source in the word hyperbole. 'Addict (from hypodermic) US' (Home Office) drugs world: 1970s. Barnhart derives the term ex the US s for a 'hypodermic injection (especially of a narcotic drug)'.-2. Something intended to stimulate sales, etc., a publicity stunt the person or thing promoted by such a stunt: s coll: adopted, early 1970s ex US. 1950: "No fireworks, no fake suspense, no hyped-up glamour." Billy Rose, synd newsp col, Jan. Artificial, phony, as though produced by a hypodermic injection of a stimulant. Two dictionaries-Harold Wentworth & Stuart Flexner, Dictionary of American Slang, first edition (1960), and Eric Partridge, Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, eighth edition (1984)-give hypodermic as the source of all meanings of hype. The term "shortchange swindle," by the way, refers to persuading a shopkeeper that one paid for some item with a larger-denomination bill than one actually handed over.Įtymologically, the main point of contention is whether all of the senses of hype ultimately come from hypodermic or whether one or more other words (most notably, hyperbole, though hypocrite is also a possibility) are the source of some of the senses involving deception or exaggeration. with a new solution.īut Lighter also points out a number of other senses of hype that have emerged over the years: as a noun, a heroin or morphine addict (by 1924), a shortchange swindle or (any) con game (by 1925), a sudden steep but usually impermanent rise in retail price (by 1926), a misleading or exaggerated story (by 1938), and overblown publicity or advertising (by 1958) as an adjective, fraudulent (by 1978), and impressive or outstanding (by 1989) as a verb, to swindle or cheat (by 1914), to cajole or mislead (by 1938), (often as hype up) to inject via hypodermic needle (by 1938), (often as hype up) to make more exciting (by 1942), (often as hype up) to make more excited (by 1946), (often as hype up) to increase or inflate (by 1947), (in carnival cant) to charge more than the usual rate for merchandise (by 1950), and to promote aggressively (by 1959). Lighter, The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (1997) devotes the equivalent of two full-size dictionary pages to various forms of hype and hyper-and right out of the box it concedes that the meanings not directly related to the use of hypodermic needles "may reflect a different etymon."Īs early as 1910, Lighter reports, hype (or hyp) appears as a short form of "hypodermic (needle)":ġ910 Adventure (Nov.) 183: I turned to give another hyp. ![]() As a result, the source word for a particular sense of the term can be difficult to identify with any confidence. Hype has a long history of slang use in the United States, with various meanings emerging and disappearing or changing shape. ![]()
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