[Ads-l] V.t. "cow" [e.g., to demands]

[Ben Zimmer]

On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 5:18 PM Mark Mandel <mark.a.mandel at gmail.com> wrote:

> From an ACLU fundraising letter, Sept. 9:
> >>>>>
> Last May, the NFL cowed to political pressure and announced a policy
> banning players from kneeling during the national anthem.
> <<<<<
>
> Assuming it's not just a typo for "bowed", this intransitive sense seems to
> derive from transitive "cow" 'to intimidate' and its past participle
> "cowed", possibly with influence from "coward".
>

See also the previously reported "cow down," eggcornically blending
"kowtow" and "bow down."

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2009-August/092732.html
http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7858

--bgz

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