6 Responses to “boing!”

1. 1 Laura Sep 21st, 2005 at 10:25 pm

   Onomatopoeia?

   (David maybe wants to be a rabbit for Halloween. Instead of referring to “hop like a rabbit,” he says he wants to “boing like a bunny.”)

2. 2 brendan Sep 22nd, 2005 at 7:41 pm

   I assume from the strangeness of the word that is must be onomotopoetic, but I am still curious of its origins. Is it a recent word? It has the ring of a word that could have been around for over a hundred years, but so far I can’t find any sort of citing of early examples of it, or really any discussion of its origins at all. Grrr.

   Boing like a bunny is good, though it should be pointed out that boing is used in popular vernacular as a synonym for ‘boink’, so boing like a bunny definitely has a secondary meaning. Given how much bunnies like to… er… boing.

3. 3 Laura Sep 22nd, 2005 at 8:24 pm

   Yes, I know. But David doesn’t.
   I really have no idea about early usage. I’m picturing that kind of text in cartoons, like the old Batman TV show. Have you checked the OED?

4. 4 brendan Sep 26th, 2005 at 5:58 pm

   OED says, “ORIGIN 1950s: imitative.”

   Weak.

5. 5 Lori Guidos Jun 1st, 2007 at 3:29 pm

   You are a very good writer. Pleas continue.

   Because of some synchronicity I came across your writings.

   While off reading “The Adventures of Lin, Lin” and other writings I came across an offer of a reward for coming up with the definition of Boing in a Blog you wrote in 2005.

   My question is what is my reward?

   The definition of BOING!

   According to “define: boing” in google, I get a result written in Italian which is

   evoca il suono di un rimbalzo in maniera più o meno metallica.
   it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossario_dei_fumetti

   Using bablefish to translate from Italian to English”

   The definition of Boing is: it evokes the sound of a bounce in more or less metallic way.

   So now will you volunteer to help me with my website?

   Lori Guidos
   Execuitve Director
   DisabledCommunity.Org

6. 6 brendan Jun 1st, 2007 at 3:45 pm

   well,

   i’m still curious about the actual history of the word — like i said earlier, i assume it is onomatopoetic, but i wonder what the origins of it are nonetheless. what i really want is an earliest citable attribution — something a bit more concrete than the oed’s “1950s”.

   i’ll still help you though

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