[net.nlang] origin of 'nope'

ix222 (11/27/82)

none of the word indices that i have at my 
disposal tell where the word "nope" comes from.
most don't even bother to list it. my own theory:

nope is a corruption of "noap"; short for "no soap"

that would be hardly arguable, were "noap" only a
word. but it isn't and it is.  

who knows whence "nope"?
				Steve Serocki
				sdcsvax;sdccsu3;ix222

deb (11/30/82)

#R:sdccsu3:-16600:uicsovax:16800002:000:318
uicsovax!deb    Nov 30 12:35:00 1982

I've thought about the word nope and have justified its origin to myself
in this way: it seems physically naturally to close our lips together
(approaching the "p" sound) after saying the word 'no'.  I suspect 'nope'
started from that natural follow-through; maybe even was inspired by
children just learning to talk?