graphic n.

[Charles C Doyle]

He wasn't referring to any actual graphic on the screen.  Maybe to a hypothetical or imagined or future or figurative graphic.  Still, though, that's kind of weird.  Can a "graphic" be something that might (eventurally) appear in commentaries or statistics but hasn't?

The statement "That's a big graphic tonight" was uttered somewhat early in the game--pretty clearly to mean 'That will be an important consideration (or "narrative") tonight' or 'That will be something to pay attention to'.

--Charlie

________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of victor steinbok [aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 2:01 AM


It doesn't sound like much of a stretch that he would extend the meaning to
a factoid that might have otherwise been represented by a on-screen graphic.
But, of course, he might have just referred to the actual graphic.

VS-)

On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 12:06 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Are you sure he wasn't referring to a screen of statistics, commonly
> called a graphic in the TV biz?
>
>

ABC sportscaster (don't know his name), regarding the LSU quarterback's willingness to throw deep passes against West Virginia:  "This is a big graphic tonight."
--Charlie

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