"period" as a verb?

Question

This is the sentence I saw:"MOTOWN perioded all over my twitter, should I dump?"

I know what she's trying to say is probably something that spread all over her twitter page that bothers her,

but is the period right here used as verb?

Is it correct to be used like that?

I appreciate your help in advance.

JohnParis · Accepted Answer

Twitter, Facebook et al. are changing English and its usage with lightening speed.

My dictionaries still list "period" as a noun or an adjective.

But, who knows? Maybe this new verb will take hold and become a word.

For the moment, however, it's incorrect English.

Anonymous · Answer

No, this is not correct. It's understandable, but an invented usage that, in my opinion, will not become accepted universally. It's too clumsy.

Clive · Answer

Hi guys,

What does it mean, please?

Clive

Mister Micawber · Answer

All I can think of is the rather unpleasant image of having one's menstrual period.

CalifJim · Answer

Mister Micawberthe rather unpleasant image of ...

I must be naive. The first thing I thought of was that someone had erased something by doing this.

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CJ

JohnParis · Answer

I agree with Mr Micawber - but was just too squeamish to pursue the matter.

I have seen this precise example of "upwardly mobile faux ghetto text language" used on Twitter by a 17 year-old girl living in a privileged suburb of New York City. I was told that it was a word used to avoid other blatantly vulgar terms (i.e., the classic four-letter words and other tasteless slang expressions), which are expressly forbidden by the faculty of her school. "Perioded" was used here as a euphemism for having been bad-mouthed and ridiculed by another girl in her class. The post was something like "Lucy perioded on me for having hooked with Jeff – that ******”. This may be a New York thing, or just not considered vulgar by that age group. In any case, the girl was nonplussed when confronted and asked to explain her choice of words. “I don’t know – everyone says it on Twitter. What’s the big deal?”

Chivalry · Answer

JohnParisI agree with Mr Micawber - but was just too squeamish to pursue the matter. I have seen this precise example of "upwardly mobile faux ghetto text language" used on Twitter by a 17 year-old girl living in a privileged suburb of New York City. I was told that it was a word used to avoid other blatantly vulgar terms (i.e., the classic four-letter words and other tasteless slang expressions), which are expressly forbidden by the faculty of her school. "Perioded" was used here as a euphemism for having been bad-mouthed and ridiculed by another girl in her class. The post was something like "Lucy perioded on me for having hooked with Jeff – that ******”. This may be a New York thing, or just not considered vulgar by that age group. In any case, the girl was nonplussed when confronted and asked to explain her choice of words. “I don’t know – everyone says it on Twitter. What’s the big deal?”

I like your explanation,

some often say that is not our job to understand some indecent language or usage of words,

yet it seems inevitable for us to encounter those expressions almost on a daily basis if we live in the United States,

and if we don't even try to understand, we'd be total outsiders.

So it is one thing to learn about those decent, formal language applied in English, and still another to figure out what those so-called "indecent" expressions or idioms or slang mean. And as foreign nationals, we're bound to do both.

Anonymous · Answer

In the poem "Moon Landing," W. H. Auden uses "period" as a verb. This is the stanza:

A grand gesture. But what does it period?
What does it osse? We were always adroiter
with objects than lives, and more facile
at courage than kindness: from the moment...

Like the twitter user, this is an invented, poetic use of the word, but effective. I think the twitter users is as well.

Anonymous · Answer

Hello! If anyone is still interested, we’re still out here using it as a verb and the dictionary still isn’t having it! Ref: https://twitter.com/raxkingisdead/status/1217163431016570886?s=21

"period" as a verb?

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