useless information of the day

Doug Harris cats22 at STNY.RR.COM
Tue Nov 25 17:43:37 UTC 2008


It would surprise me if _anything_ was (or were) similar to "retconning".
I can't even imagine what that might mean!
dh


>> And has anyone else noticed how much, in the past few weeks, the term 'reboot'
>is being used in relation to a broad assortment of things in no way related to
>computers?
-------
Yes, it's very common in the comic book and movie franchise
community's when referring to a new comic or movie that attempts to
restart the historical continuity of the franchise. Similar to
retconning.

>Scot


>On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 11:01 AM, Doug Harris <cats22 at stny.rr.com> wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Doug Harris <cats22 at STNY.RR.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: useless information of the day
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Another phrase I've heard popping up -- and out, enthusiastically -- more and
>more of late is "that's what I'm _talking_ about"  . . . usually said, seemingly out of
>the blue, when the speaker was in no way _speaking_ of or in any other referring to
>whatever it is s/he is indicating as being 'that'.
>> -------
>> And has anyone else noticed how much, in the past few weeks, the term 'reboot'
>is being used in relation to a broad assortment of things in no way related to
>computers?
>> dh
>>
>>
>>
>> Subject: Re: useless information of the day
>>
>>
>>>Sounds like they need to just like chill out and have a cheeseburger.
>>>it's advertisin'
>>
>>>Scot
>>
>>
>>>On 11/24/08, James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>
>>><JJJRLandau at netscape.com> wrote:
>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>> Poster:       "James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com>"
>>>>              <JJJRLandau at NETSCAPE.COM>
>>>> Subject:      useless information of the day
>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Netscape (you know, those people who keep putting that "just the Net you
>need"
>>>blurb on my posts) today has the following on its splash page:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 15 Words Kids Think You Don't Know
>>>>
>>>> Translate this: Caitlyn and her boo were cupcaking in the hallway! It means
>>>Caitlyn and her boyfriend were kissing in the hallway. AARP has done geezers
>>>everywhere a favor and produced a dictionary of words kids know and use all the
>>>time--but think adults don't know. It's a way to talk in code in front the 'rents.
>>>>
>>>> So the next time the young 'uns start jabbering gibberish, you might just catch
>>>one of these words they think you don't know:
>>>>
>>>> Boo: boyfriend or girlfriend
>>>> Brodown: boys' night out
>>>> Bromance: close, but non-sexual, relationship between two men
>>>> Check vitals: to check your e-mail, cell phone and voice mail
>>>> Cupcaking: engaging in a public display of affection
>>>> Disco nap: a short nap before a night out clubbing
>>>> Floss: to show off your wealth, often in a car
>>>> Fo' shizzle: certainly
>>>> They aren't hateful. They aren't disgusting. They're just annoying. Find out
>which
>>>two words Webster's says are the ugliest in the English language.
>>>> Peeps: people; your closest friends or family
>>>> Scooby doos: good shoes
>>>> Sick: extremely cool
>>>> Talk smack: to speak negatively or belittle someone else, often in the heat of
>>>competition
>>>> Tatted out: covered in tattoos
>>>> Tramp stamp: a tattoo on a woman's lower back
>>>> Wikidemia: a term paper that was researched entirely on Wikipedia
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ugliest Two Words in English
>>>> They aren't hateful. They aren't disgusting. They're just annoying. The editors
>of
>>>the Webster's New World College Dictionary say the two ugliest words in the
>English
>>>language are: "like" and "go."
>>>> As in: "And I go, 'I can't believe it!' and she's like, 'You didn't know?'"
>>>>
>>>> Once a year, the dictionary editors stop their serious work and indulge in a
>good
>>>rant about the state of the English language. Here is the best of what they
>consider
>>>to be the worst:
>>>>
>>>> Most irksome euphemism: Issues
>>>> We used to have problems. Now we have issues.
>>>>
>>>> Worst replacement for good old "yes" or "I agree": Absolutely
>>>> The close runner-up is "definitely."
>>>>
>>>> Most cheapened cherished word: Awesome
>>>> A C+ on an algebra test is mediocre, not awesome. Dude.
>>>>
>>>> Worst unnecessary lead-in: I mean
>>>> I mean, if you didn't mean it, you wouldn't be saying it!
>>>>
>>>> Most infuriating idiocy in news headlines: Neck in neck
>>>> And it's used everywhere, including the New York Times, the Seattle Post
>>>Intelligencer, Reuters, Fox News, the Akron Beacon-Journal and too many
>others.
>>>>
>>>> Worst orthographic innovation: Stunt spelling
>>>> This is a cutesy-poo, middle school infatuation that began as early as Mötley
>Crüe,
>>>progressed to phat and continues downward with boyz.
>>>>
>>>> Worst grammatical abuse: The present progressive
>>>> "i'm lovin' it" without a capital "I" and without a period is the idiocy reduced to
>its
>>>essentials. Well, McDonald's thought it so fine that they took out a trademark on
>it.
>>>>
>>>>           James A. Landau
>>>>           test engineer
>>>>           Northrop-Grumman Information Technology
>>>>           8025 Black Horse Pike, Suite 300
>>>>           West Atlantic City NJ 08232 USA
>>>>
>~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
>>>> RTSCT EZWWW YZAWV FQMYP ILZFD CWQAE MXCYN WMPJJ
>>>> HHYNU AMFGX HSA
>>>>
>~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _____________________________________________________________
>>>> Netscape.  Just the Net You Need.
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>>>
>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>

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

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



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