Language: Idiolect, Private Meanings and References, Code Words
Lorna sat in the front, beside Herb, and she handed him his egg, his biscuits, and his coffee when he asked for them, so that he could keep driving. When he finished eating, he would say, “Would you ignite me — ”
He would pause, turn toward Lorna, and wink. She would smile — sometimes even giggle — and redden — sometimes even poke Herb — as if it were possible for us to understand his reference to the night the ballroom burned.
“ — a nicotine, please?” he would finish at last.Herb ’n’ Lorna, Chapter 16
Smoking: Cigarettes: Real Brands: Kool
Advertising: Types of Appeal
Lorna would light him a cigarette, a Kool.
Herb ’n’ Lorna, Chapter 16
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation had its spokesbird Willie the Penguin use an astonishing variety of appeals to pitch the Kool brand:
Language: Dialect, Slang, Idiolect, Shibboleths, Jargon TG 137
Have you missed an episode or two or several?
You can begin reading at the beginning or you can catch up by visiting the archive or consulting the index to the Topical Guide.
You can listen to the episodes on the Personal History podcast. Begin at the beginning or scroll through the episodes to find what you’ve missed.
You can ensure that you never miss a future issue by getting a free subscription. (You can help support the work by choosing a paid subscription instead.)
At Apple Books you can download free eBooks of “My Mother Takes a Tumble,” “Do Clams Bite?,” “Life on the Bolotomy,” “The Static of the Spheres,” “The Fox and the Clam,” “The Girl with the White Fur Muff,” “Take the Long Way Home,” “Call Me Larry,” and “The Young Tars,” the nine novellas in Little Follies, and Little Follies itself, which will give you all the novellas in one handy package.
You’ll find overviews of the entire work in An Introduction to The Personal History, Adventures, Experiences & Observations of Peter Leroy (a pdf document) and at Encyclopedia.com.