Cuddlypets

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From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
A fannish verse-fad set off, like many of our gags, by a stfyarn. Cuddlypets were animals tamed by artificial stimulation of their affection-centers, but the thing that fans went for was the advertising-verse used by salesmen of this peculiar merchandise. Below is a sample of a fannish adaptation.
Lately Cuddly-Crocodile 
Rivals Cuddly-Lion in style; 
Modern fashion doesn't bar 
A Cuddly-Tyrannosaur!
From Fancyclopedia 2 Supplement, ca. 1960
The creatrix of the horrors was Evelyn Smith.

Dick Eney got that wrong. In fact, Cuddlypets were created by R. Bretnor and Kris Neville in their story “Gratitude Guaranteed” (F&SF, August 1953), which featured such jingles as:

Cuddlypets are clean and tidy,
Cuddlypets don’t need a didy.
Junior’s ooky? Junior’s wet?
Trade him for a CUDD-LEE-PET!

Phyllis Economou sent this version in a loc to Grue 20 (Spring 1954):

You can have your Cuddlee-beast
  Cuddlee-cougar tempts me least.
All I ask, please, if you can
  Just give me a Cuddlee-MAN!!

See Poetry.



Fanspeak 1953
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.