AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I have an interest in the meanings of words and phrases, as well as how and when they became part of the English language. I enjoy
researching idioms, colloquialisms, dialects, and obscurities of
all kinds. I prefer short questions on a particular subject, and
I will not accept lengthy research projects or term papers. NOTE: ALLEXPERTS CLAIMS THAT I TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN AND FROM LATIN TO ENGLISH. I DO NOT. ALLEXPERTS REFUSES TO DELETE THE LATIN-TO-ENGLISH SERVICE -- ONE THAT I DO NOT PROVIDE.
TRUST ME ON THIS: ALLEXPERTS IS WRONG. I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LANGUAGE. LOOK FOR A LANGUAGE EXPERT INSTEAD. ETYMOLOGY AND TRANSLATING SERVICES ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. ALLEXPERTS SHOULD KNOW THAT. ALLEXPERTS DOES NOT KNOW THAT. I HAVE TRIED FOR MANY YEARS TO GET THEM TO CHANGE. THEY WILL NOT. SORRY, BUT I DO NOT TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO LATIN.
Experience I am the bibliographic instruction and reference librarian at a public
college. My master's thesis concerns William Faulkner's tragic novels. I formerly taught advanced placement English at two schools in the Philadelphia area.
I have been a member of the grammar and writing section of Allexperts
for more than a year.
Education/Credentials Masters degrees in English, philosophy, and library science.
Question Ted, do you know the etymology of pea-brained or pea-brain? I realize that
after you spent your own time researching answers, the inconsiderate pea-
brain who asked you the question did not bother to acknowledge your time,
your work, and goodness knows, your expertise. Although I am interested in
the answer to the question of the etymology of pea-brained, I am myself no
pea-brain either generally or in the Department of Gratitude. I hope you will
consider answering my question...
Answer Dear Sheila:
Your question made me curious, so I did the research. I guessed that the phrase has been around for centuries, and I was very wrong.
It was "coined" by the American journalist Howard K. Smith in 1942, in his book "Last Train from Berlin."
I am pasting in below the complete entry from "The Oxford English Dictionary [OED]," which is the leading authority on word [and phrase] origins. The OED lists ONLY the first WRITTEN usage, so the term may have been used ORALLY for a long time, before it was ever written down. I don't think that is the case here, because the asterisk (*) beside the Smith entry signifies that the OED editors believe he made up the expression.
I hope this helps you.
Ted Nesbitt
From "The Oxford English Dictionary" --
pea-brained adj. colloq. (derogatory) stupid, dull-witted, foolish; having a supposedly tiny brain.
1942 H. K. SMITH Last Train from Berlin ii. 45, I insulted Doctor Goebbels' chargé for the American press, a small, *pea-brained individual named Karl Freelich. 1975 Time 7 July 1/1 Vapid, pea-brained, nonsense-spouting but gorgeous young men of the world. 2000 New Scientist 23 Sept. 25/3 And right at the top of the food chain were monstrous, pea-brained beasts like Giganotosaurus throwbacks to the allosaurs of an earlier age.
