death of man who helped introduce the term "pinup"

[rowrrbazzle]

http://www.latimes.com/print/metro/20010528/t000044799.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/25/obituaries/25SPEN.html?searchpv=day04 (free registration required):

Hartzell Spence, a writer who as founder and executive editor of Yank magazine during World War II helped introduce the term “pinup,” died on May 9 at his home in Essex, Conn. He was 93.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Yank was the first to use the term as a noun, in 1943, but Life magazine used “pinup” in 1941 as an adjective - for a girl, of course.

[Eve]

Yes, I noticed that in the Times—cool! Also, a 107-year-old lawyer who defended (unsuccessfully) Al Capone died last week. When he tried to retire at the age of 100, his wife told the press, “I married him for better or for worse, but no one said anything about for lunch!”

[Ukulele_Ike]

So the term “pin-up” was introduced in Yank magazine.

[samclem]

At the risk of sounding like a fuddy-duddy, my Webster’s Collegiate says that the term “pinup girl” was from 1941 and was used as a noun.

Until JE Lighter comes out with vol. III, we may not know the entire etymology.

The headline in the Times says “Inventor” of pinup. This was, of course, written by a person who is not a reporter/researcher.

Certainly the gentleman was there at the founding and , perhaps, coined the term. God bless him.