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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Extravagant adjective formation - 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' hits Gray Lady
A noted (amongst aficionados) nauseatingly twee tic of scripts in the latter days of 'Buffy' was a promiscuous use of nonce-adjectives formed by the addition of ?-y' to words and phrases. ?Out-of-the-loop-y' is one I remember with particular fondness. Not.
Now, it seems, the revolting practice has spread to the New York Times (1). In an op-ed piece by Maureen Dowd, one reads
?Mr. Bush looked buck-passy when he denied that the White House, which throws up PowerPoint slogans behind his head on TV, was behind the "Mission Accomplished" banner.'
(She even omits the hyphen, jolting the reader into racking his brain for the significance of the word ?passy'.)
Is this an isolated instance?
(1) http://nytimes.com/2003/10/30/opinion/30DOWD.html
Now, it seems, the revolting practice has spread to the New York Times (1). In an op-ed piece by Maureen Dowd, one reads
?Mr. Bush looked buck-passy when he denied that the White House, which throws up PowerPoint slogans behind his head on TV, was behind the "Mission Accomplished" banner.'
(She even omits the hyphen, jolting the reader into racking his brain for the significance of the word ?passy'.)
Is this an isolated instance?
(1) http://nytimes.com/2003/10/30/opinion/30DOWD.html
Top answer
Mr. r
- Mr.
- r
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6 Answers
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halcombe filted:
[nq:1]?Mr. Bush looked buck-passy when he denied that the White House, which throws up PowerPoint slogans behind his head on TV, was behind the "Mission Accomplished" banner.' Is this an isolated instance?[/nq]
That is *so* not an isolated instance....r
[nq:1]?Mr. Bush looked buck-passy when he denied that the White House, which throws up PowerPoint slogans behind his head on TV, was behind the "Mission Accomplished" banner.' Is this an isolated instance?[/nq]
That is *so* not an isolated instance....r
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[nq:1]A noted (amongst aficionados) nauseatingly twee tic of scripts in the latter days of 'Buffy' was a promiscuous use of ... hyphen, jolting the reader into racking his brain for the significance of the word ?passy'.) Is this an isolated instance?[/nq]
Ms Dowd is a columnist. (An interesting one, too) In that capacity, she can legitimately play fast and loose with English. I don't particula
Ms Dowd is a columnist. (An interesting one, too) In that capacity, she can legitimately play fast and loose with English. I don't particula
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[nq:1]halcombe filted:[/nq]
[nq:2]?Mr. Bush looked buck-passy when he denied that the White ... behind the "Mission Accomplished" banner.' Is this an isolated instance?[/nq]
[nq:1]That is *so* not an isolated instance....r[/nq]
Oh you cuddle-monkey you ...
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
[nq:2]?Mr. Bush looked buck-passy when he denied that the White ... behind the "Mission Accomplished" banner.' Is this an isolated instance?[/nq]
[nq:1]That is *so* not an isolated instance....r[/nq]
Oh you cuddle-monkey you ...
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
00
John Dean filted:
[nq:2]halcombe filted: That is *so* not an isolated instance..r[/nq]
[nq:1]Oh you cuddle-monkey you ...[/nq]
Could this thread *be* any more self-referential?...r
[nq:2]halcombe filted: That is *so* not an isolated instance..r[/nq]
[nq:1]Oh you cuddle-monkey you ...[/nq]
Could this thread *be* any more self-referential?...r
00
[nq:1]John Dean filted:[/nq]
[nq:2]Oh you cuddle-monkey you ...[/nq]
[nq:1]Could this thread *be* any more self-referential?...r[/nq]
Those in the dark here may want to consult a new book from Oxford University Press entitled Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon , by Michael Adams (Professor of English, Albright College). Here's a review of the book by Michael Quinion, whic
[nq:2]Oh you cuddle-monkey you ...[/nq]
[nq:1]Could this thread *be* any more self-referential?...r[/nq]
Those in the dark here may want to consult a new book from Oxford University Press entitled Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon , by Michael Adams (Professor of English, Albright College). Here's a review of the book by Michael Quinion, whic
00
(Email Removed) spake thus:=20
[nq:2]=20 John Dean filted: =20 Could this thread *be* any more self-referential?...r[/nq]
[nq:1]Those in the dark here may want to consult a new book from Oxford University Press entitled Slayer Slang: ... review of the book by Michael Quinion, which discusses linguistic innovations such as the "-y" formation (as in "buck-passy"):=
[nq:2]=20 John Dean filted: =20 Could this thread *be* any more self-referential?...r[/nq]
[nq:1]Those in the dark here may want to consult a new book from Oxford University Press entitled Slayer Slang: ... review of the book by Michael Quinion, which discusses linguistic innovations such as the "-y" formation (as in "buck-passy"):=
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