Rubberneck

[Lynne Murphy]

> Interestingly, it doesn't seem to be in the OED.  This term (as
> either "rubbernecker" or "rubbernecking") is one I'm also familiar
> with from as far back as I can recall, but since I'm also from NYC &
> suburbs that doesn't add much.  But pace Alice, while rubberneckers
> can and often do CAUSE slowdowns, I'd argue that's not part of the
> definition of the term--if I slow down to gawk at an accident off to
> the side I'm a rubbernecker even if there's no one else on the road.
> Tobacco causes cancer too but the latter isn't part of the lexical
> entry (as opposed to the encyclopedia entry, perhaps) of the former.
> I know, picky, picky, but if we're not, who will be?
>
> larry

Larry, you're such a pedant when it comes to lexical semantics.  That's
exactly what I respect in a person.

AHD4 doesn't mark it as regional, and also doesn't have it as
traffic-specific.  A rubbernecker is just 'a gawking onlooker'.  It
seems to me that I've used/heard this in various parts of the country
(incl. Illinois and Texas) and have met people in these places who
didn't know the term in spite of the fact that others there did.  I
think this is because I lived in less trafficful places and the people
from the small towns were less likely to have experience with the word
than the people from the big cities.  But that's just my impression.

I think the term might also be used for folks who neck-swivel and slow
down to see the backsides of passersby in thongs/micro-minis, etc.

Lynne