basketball "length" (was Re: Vals Kilmer)

[Wilson Gray]

On 3/29/06, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
>
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      basketball "length" (was Re: Vals Kilmer)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On 3/30/06, Robert Fitzke <fitzke at michcom.net> wrote:
> >
> > Speaking of words and phrases that are created to "meet a need" or serve
> a
> > special purpose, I'm grappling with the recent pop culture use of the
> word "
> > length" to describe a basketball player or team that has height, as in
> such
> > and such team has length, or so in so has length.
> >
> > Oddly, my dad, born in 1897, told me someone in his home town of
> LaSalle,
> > IL, used to call him "Lengthy" (He was 6' 2 1/2"; very tall for the
> times.


"Lengthy"?  I wonder whether that might have been the ultimate source of an
annoying nickname, "Linky," that I - 6' 4" and a very slim 160 lbs. - was
once saddled with in St.
Louis. I could never make any sense of "Linky," but, if that originated as
"Lengthy,"
then it makes sense.

-Wilson

-----
> 1990 _Atlanta Journal and Constitution_ 24 Mar. B5 (Factiva) As Lewis
> [sc. University of Houston coach Guy Lewis] once replied when asked
> about Olajuwan's skills, "I'm kinda fond of his length."
> -----
> 1992 _Los Angeles Daily News_ 23 Apr. S1 (Factiva) He's got the size,
> the quickness, the length, the jumping ability... and although a few
> of our players laughed when I told him this, I also think he has the
> brains.
> -----
> 1993 _Milwaukee Journal_ 3 Apr. 10 (Factiva) He's got length and great
> anticipation and some some great blocks.
> -----
> 1993 _Portland Oregonian_ 22 Dec. C6 (Factiva) He has length and
> athletic ability and handles the ball well for a guy his size.
> -----
>
> The last three quotes are all from Lakers/Bucks coach Mike Dunleavy
> (about Elden Campbell, Dikembe Mutumbo, and Vin Baker, respectively).
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>
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>

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