Eric J. Lubbers Sings His Hits

(Photo: I-70 off-ramp at Peoria, just south of Montbello. I don’t know what is in his hand, but he was fascinated by it.)

This is, of course, not including any non-musical object that a beggar/pandhandler/urban hobo has fashioned into an instrument. Including wax paper/comb harmonicas.

If you remember my last post, you’ll remember my exaggerated rage at not getting credit for creating the term Googleganger.

Immediately after I posted it, I thought, “I can’t be the only one.” And boy was I right, I found this reference from the Los Angeles Times in August 2004 (it’s archived, but the important part is free).

And not only did I disprove my own overly puffed-up argument, Grant Barrett, host of Wayword Radio and vice president of the American Dialect Society deemed my decidedly non-humble blog entry worthy of a comment, listing more than a half dozen incidences of googleganger use before mine.

It is “a fairly common coinage and recoinage,” Mr. Barrett said, which is the politest way anyone has ever put me in my place.

So let’s just put the matter behind us, shall we? And remember, always check your facts before you get fake angry and post a blog entry.

Alright, New York Times, if that is your real name, I want what’s coming to me.

Namely, credit for inventing the word that you threw around in last Thursday’s column, “Names That Match Forge a Bond on the Internet,” (emphasis added):

Bloggers muse about their multiple digital selves, known as Google twins or Googlegängers (a term that was the American Dialect Society’s “most creative” word last year).

What the hell, American Dialect Society? I invented the term Googlegänger last year! I never received any kind of certificate or gift card to Bennigan’s or an American Apparel T-shirt that says “Cunning Linguist” or whatever it is the American Dialect Society gives out for being all wordsmithy.

“Yeah right, Eric, everyone says ‘I thought of it first.’ Suck it up, man,” I hear you all saying. (also: screw you guys for being so negative.)

I happen to have timestamped proof. So there, haters:

That is a comment on this blog by my old boss, who happens to share a name with star Broncos running back Travis Henry. And how freakin’ prescient am I? I put a trademark symbol next to it. I knew I was sitting on a slice of fried gold when I wrote it.

I don’t want any kind of reward, American Dialect Society. Just fame. Truckloads of it. A sit-down interview with Matt Lauer should do it, but just in case, book me on Letterman. I’ll be waiting for your call.