Standing novation

[Wilson Gray]

Grant Barrett writes:

"... standing novation" ... "rising to your feet, but _not_ clapping."

As we used to say in the 'Fifties, "Too much!"

-Wilson

On 11/13/07, Grant Barrett <gbarrett at worldnewyork.org> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Grant Barrett <gbarrett at WORLDNEWYORK.ORG>
> Subject:      Standing novation
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> In my word-hunting I came across this nonce use of "standing
> novation," used to mean rising to your feet but not clapping:
>
> http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=22837
>
> The interesting thing, however, is how many people have spelled it
> that way without seeming to intend a joke:
>
> http://www.google.com/search?&q=%22standing+novation%22
> http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=%22standing%20novation%22
>
> I suppose a standing novation is what you do when you wait in line to
> switch to a new mobile phone service.
>
> Grant Barrett
> Double-Tongued Dictionary
> http://www.doubletongued.org/
> editor at doubletongued.org
>
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All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
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                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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