Re: Re[2]: When did "T. rex" come into usage?

[pwillis@ozemail.com.au (Paul Willis)]

Wow, do I take it that _some_ people don't know who Trex were? Have you
never heard of their lead singer Mark Bolan? I couldn't stand them myself
but in England and the colonies they were big do-dos. They were very much
wrapped up by the mid seventies when Bolan wrapped a yellow mini around an
old oak tree (he was in it at the time) in either 1976 ot 77.

Anyway, as far as I know, they were originally known as Tyrannosaurs rex,
later shortened to T rex and, if I remember correctly, they never has a
full stop after the T and they never capitalised the r. I could be wrong.

No T rex hey? And you call yourself cultured! (Do you?)


>Ron Dass wrote:
>
>>Some time during the late sixties /early seventies there was a rock group
>>called T Rex.  All I remember is a thumping, heavy metal type base line
>>and a line that went "bang a gong, get it on" or somethong. Ring any bells,
>>anyone?
>>
>>                                        -RD
>
>A quick web search brought up an incredibly detailed biography of their lead
>singer. No disputing matters of taste, I guess.
>
>Anyway, the last half of 1970 was when they changed their name from
>"Tyrannosaurus Rex" to "T.rex" to make it easier when writing out promotional
>materials. There was no mention of any knowledge of scientific binomial
>abbreviation, so I guess this instance racks up to convergent shorthand.
>
>Anybody know if this really popularized the name? I don't recall hearing it
>throughout much of the '80s or '90s until the Jurassic Park/Nova/Horner&Lessem
>book inundated us with it over the past 5 years...
>
>T.rex (the band) box sets are available at your local record store. E.coli has
>been similarly co-opted as a band name.
>
>Matt.
>
>mceleskey@cabq.gov

Cheers,

Paul


Dr Paul M.A. Willis
Consulting Vertebrate Palaeontologist
Quinkana Pty Ltd
pwillis@ozemail.com.au