I would have thought the verb would have come before the noun. Oh, I didn't think of the OED! Hmm. *looks it up* It seems to be connected to headhunters, the ones who make shrunken heads. Huh. No wonder it kinda bothers me. XP
Seems like the exact origins are lost to the mists of time, but this guy presents the idea that it came into popular use in Hollywood, and might relate to shrinking the inflated egos of movies stars - which is kinda cool - or that both headhunters and psychs mess with your head in mysterious ways (we really don't though), and there's a bit of a link between head-shrinking tribal rituals and being asked about your mother and your childhood (which we don't do so much now).
Oh, and it entered the venacular through being used in Rebel Without A Cause! That is cool. Rebel came out in 55, and the only earlier source the OED has is from 1950 (1950 Time 27 Nov. 19 Anyone who had predicted that he would end up as the rootin'-tootin' idol of U.S. children would have been led instantly off to a headshrinker.) I love the endless influence of Rebel Without A Cause.
Seems like the exact origins are lost to the mists of time, but this guy presents the idea that it came into popular use in Hollywood, and might relate to shrinking the inflated egos of movies stars - which is kinda cool - or that both headhunters and psychs mess with your head in mysterious ways (we really don't though), and there's a bit of a link between head-shrinking tribal rituals and being asked about your mother and your childhood (which we don't do so much now).
Oh, and it entered the venacular through being used in Rebel Without A Cause! That is cool. Rebel came out in 55, and the only earlier source the OED has is from 1950 (1950 Time 27 Nov. 19 Anyone who had predicted that he would end up as the rootin'-tootin' idol of U.S. children would have been led instantly off to a headshrinker.) I love the endless influence of Rebel Without A Cause.
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