Verbification of Martha Stewart

[Laurence Horn]

At 7:47 AM -0500 12/23/04, David Bowie wrote:
>From:    Alice Faber <faber at HASKINS.YALE.EDU>
>
>: I was struck by this (perhaps) nonce-formation in the Toronto Sun,
>: quoting Eric Lindros:  "Myself, I've bought a house in the area and
>: I've Martha Stewart-ed it up."
>: (<http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2004/12/21/792489.html>)
>
>I've heard it as simply the verb "to Martha", as in "I've Marthaed
>[Marthad?] up my living room."

What my students had for the past tense of the verb "to winona" was
actually _winona'd_ (although I cited it as "Winonaed" in my earlier
message), so presumably "martha'd" would work as well.

larry

>
>Now that i think about it, it seems that the verb as i've heard (and used)
>it is "to Martha up", close to what Lindros said.
>
>I've heard it more often as an adjective, though, as in "It was just way too
>Martha for me."
>
>Of course, with Alice's quote you've got a big, burly hockey player using
>"to Martha Stewart up" as something that he does. Nothing like being secure
>in one's masculinity, eh?
>
>David Bowie                                         http://pmpkn.net/lx
>     Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
>     house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
>     chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.