[Ads-l] Sleaze Letigimized - Euphemism Rampage

[Ben Zimmer]

On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 3:35 AM, David Daniel wrote:
>
> From CNN Money: Re Super Bowl tickets, thousands of which are given to "...
> the teams, which end up using brokers to sell them on the secondary market."
> So now scalpers (touts - UK) are "brokers" and ply their trade proudly,
> making money for the teams in the "secondary market"? Back at World Cup
> time, a bunch of people went to jail here in Rio for scalping. They just
> picked the wrong country I guess.

The "secondary market" for reselling tickets has been legitimized by
the U.S. professional sports industry, allowing people to resell
tickets via StubHub and similar services. (Presumably the
leagues/teams get a cut of the profits.) So your one-time "scalpers"
are now legitimate "brokers." Cf. "budtender," replacing "pot dealer"
in states that have legalized the sale of marijuana.

--bgz

-- 
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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