curiouser

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On May 21, 2007, at 11:27 AM, Nathan Bierma wrote:

> Applying 'curious' to inanimate antecedents sounds to me like a new
> sense of the word ...
>
> Bush (5/8/07): I find it curious that they would offer comfort to
> our enemies instead of to our warriors. In other words, offering
> comfort to our enemies instead of to our warriors is something that
> I find curious.
>
> ... Do contemporary usages such as Bush's (obviously euphemistic;
> not sure how often this use of 'curious' is euphemistic) actually
> represent a revival of these old ("obs.") definitions?
> Why do they sound unusual to me? (Or is it just me?)

they sound fine to me.  google on "curious idea" for 20,000 or so
examples.

bush's use is in the 'surprising, strange, odd' territory, so i don't
even find it particularly euphemistic.

arnold

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