Meyer

A term of address equivalent to “Man,” “Buddy,” “Dude,” ktp. This was a Burbeeism used heavily in satirical dialogue in fan articles by Charles Burbee and F. T. Laney, and subsequently by their admirers. It originated, Burbee admitted years later, in an antisemitic joke, according to Gary Farber and Moshe Feder, who asked him about it at L.A.con II in 1984; they said he was embarrassed to confess this to two Jewish fen.

Rob Hansen has said he believes it alludes to Nazi leader Hermann Göring’s infamous 1939 statement, "Wenn auch nur ein englischer Bomber die Ruhr erreicht, will ich nicht mehr Hermann Göring, sondern Hermann Meier heißen" ("If only one British bomber reaches the Ruhr, I don't want to be called Hermann Göring any more, but rather Hermann Meier"), which made Göring a laughingstock in World War II. Whether Göring meant “Meier” as a specifically Jewish name or as a generic derogatory reference has been the subject of widespread debate ever since.

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Fanspeak

This is a fanspeak page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was coined, whether it’s still in use, etc.