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.[1]

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  1. 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, Creatures of Fandom.



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.