Extension of Tourette's

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/6/2008 11:28 AM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>As far back as the early 'Seventies, I heard (post)graduate students
>refer to braces as "curly brackets." At that tim,e, I feared for the
>future of the English language. A great weight has been lifted from my
>shoulders.

That happened when you gave up braces for belts.

Joel


>Thank you, Benjamin.
>
>-Wilson
>
>On Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 7:43 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> >  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >  Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> >  Subject:      Extension of Tourette's
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >  In an interview of Chris Rock by Ed Condran in the Seattle Times (NW
> >  Ticket & Movie Times, 4-10 April 2008), Rock uses the terms "a mild
> >  form of Tourette's" and "comedic Tourette's".
> >
> >  -----
> >  Q: You have a great way of saying anything. Where did you learn that?
> >
> >  A: I don't know. It's a mild form of Tourette's. I remember about a
> >  year and a half ago. {sic} I went to a a Mets game. I was talking to
> >  [Mets manager] Willie Randolph. The lineup is being made. I look at
> >  the lineup. I see Moises Alou and Shawn Green. I say, 'What is this,
> >  the '89 All-Star game?'
> >
> >  Q: What did Willie say?
> >
> >  A: He laughed. But it's comedic Tourette's. Sometimes it might be best
> >  if I keep my mouth shut.
> >  -----
> >
> >  I wonder if the connection between Rock's comment to Randolph and
> >  Tourette's is that Rock is "bad mouthing."
> >
> >  The brackets are in the source, the braces are mine. BB
> >
> >  ------------------------------------------------------------
> >  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
>--
>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.
>-----
>  -Sam'l Clemens
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org