killed to death

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM
Mon Apr 21 13:27:34 UTC 2008


Raid kilt bugs dead in the (mid?) '60s too. When I think of the commercials, they're still in black and white!

  JL

David Bowie <db.list at PMPKN.NET> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: David Bowie
Subject: Re: killed to death
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Thomas Paikeday

> "Killed to death" seems to have a finality to it whereas "kill" as in "to
> kill an ad, ball, bill, desire, engine, to kill time" etc. do not. I first
> noticed it in a commercial about a bug killer (I forget the brand name) with
> the slogan "kills bugs dead."...

Raid, as i recall from way too much syndicated-show TV-watching as a kid
in the 70s and 80s.



--
David Bowie University of Central Florida
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.

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



---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.

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



More information about the Ads-l mailing list