Adjective [ wizard ] -- (slang, dated, Britain)

[Hen Hanna]

On Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 5:06:21 AM UTC-7, John Dunlop wrote:
> Don Phillipson:
> > Slang use of "wizard" may have originated among young
> > airmen in the WW2 period: but this was as a general
> > intensifier or as wizard.(adjective) = excellent, cf. a
> > wizard prang (crash), wizard holiday etc. This sort of
> > language seems indeed antiquated in 1981 (but many
> > other school structures seemed so.)
>
> It predates WW2. The OED's earliest quotation is from 1922.
>


What's the 1922 quotation?


https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wizard#Adjective

Adjective wizard ‎(not comparable)

1.(slang, dated, Britain) Fine, superb (originally RAF slang).

 [quotations ▲]

## 1942, Quentin James Reynolds, [Only the Stars are Neutral]
"We had a wizard show," the young leader of an Australian squadron said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

## 1943, Howard Macy Coffin, Walter Leslie River, [Malta Story]
But he was a wizard flyer, that boy.


These seem similar to the American use today.
"He's a wizard on the guitar"
"a wizard chess player" etc.

I bet it's not "dated" in the UK.

HH

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 11:26:49 -0700 (PDT), Hen Hanna <henh...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
>On Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 5:06:21 AM UTC-7, John Dunlop wrote:
>> Don Phillipson:
>> > Slang use of "wizard" may have originated among young
>> > airmen in the WW2 period: but this was as a general
>> > intensifier or as wizard.(adjective) = excellent, cf. a
>> > wizard prang (crash), wizard holiday etc. This sort of
>> > language seems indeed antiquated in 1981 (but many
>> > other school structures seemed so.)
>>
>> It predates WW2. The OED's earliest quotation is from 1922.
>>
>
>
> What's the 1922 quotation?
>
>
>https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wizard#Adjective
>

>Adjective wizard ?(not comparable)

>
>1.(slang, dated, Britain) Fine, superb (originally RAF slang).
>

>?[quotations ?]

>
> ## 1942, Quentin James Reynolds, [Only the Stars are Neutral]
> "We had a wizard show," the young leader of an Australian squadron said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.
>
> ## 1943, Howard Macy Coffin, Walter Leslie River, [Malta Story]
> But he was a wizard flyer, that boy.
>
>
>These seem similar to the American use today.
> "He's a wizard on the guitar"
> "a wizard chess player" etc.
>
>I bet it's not "dated" in the UK.
>

Oxford Dictionaries marks one sense as dated.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/wizard

wizard

noun

1 (In legends and fairy tales) a man who has magical powers.

1.1 A person who is very skilled in a particular field or activity:
"a financial wizard"

2 Computing A help feature of a software package that automates
complex tasks by asking the user a series of easy-to-answer
questions.

adjective

British informal, dated

Wonderful; excellent:
"how absolutely wizard!"
"I’ve just had a wizard idea"

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

[Hen Hanna]

On Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 12:18:35 PM UTC-7, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote:
> On Wed, 30 Mar 2016 11:26:49 -0700 (PDT), Hen Hanna <..........

Thank you. These uses are unfamiliar.

"how absolutely wizard!"
"I've just had a wizard idea"

I think I read this joke in a book published in the UK :


An Alabama pastor said to his congregation, "Someone in this congregation has spread a rumor that I belong to the Ku Klux Klan. This is a horrible lie and one which a Christian community cannot tolerate. I am embarrassed and do not intend to accept this. Now, I want the party who said this to stand and ask forgiveness from God and this Christian family."

No one moved. The preacher continued, "Do you have the nerve to face me and admit this is a falsehood? Remember, you will be forgiven and in your heart you will feel glory. Now stand and confess your transgression." Again, all was quiet.

Then, slowly, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with a body that would stop a runaway train rose from the third pew. Her head was bowed and her voice quivered as she spoke, "Reverend there has been a terrible misunderstanding. I never said you were a member of the Ku Klux Klan. I simply told a couple of my friends that you were a wizard under the sheets."

[Hen Hanna]

> > adjective
> >
> > British informal, dated
> >
> > Wonderful; excellent:
> > "how absolutely wizard!"
> > "I've just had a wizard idea"
> >
>
> Thank you. These uses are unfamiliar.
> "how absolutely wizard!"
> "I've just had a wizard idea"
>

That film was wizard.

## 1942, Quentin James Reynolds, [Only the Stars are Neutral]
"We had a wizard show," the young leader of an Australian squadron said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

((( ---- fighter pilots, right? )))

## 1943, Howard Macy Coffin, Walter Leslie River, [Malta Story]
But he was a wizard flyer, that boy.

in my mind, [cracker-jack] is associated with WW2 fighter pilots
So why is a sailor-boy on the box?


http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=cracker-jack

cracker-jack (n.) also crackerjack, "something excellent,"

1893, U.S. colloquialism, apparently a fanciful construction, earliest use in reference to racing horses. The caramel-coated popcorn-and-peanuts confection was said to have been introduced at the World's Columbian Exposition (1893).

Supposedly a salesman gave it the name when he tasted some and said, "That's a cracker-jack," using the then-popular expression. The name was trademarked 1896. The "Prize in Every Box" was introduced 1912.


"Your brother Bob is traveling, isn't he?"

"Yep. He's with one of the big racing teams. I tell you, he's a cracker-jack! Wins a bushel of diamonds and gold cups every week."
["Life," Aug. 1, 1895]