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<font size=3>Another kind of "spit bath" (and as a
verb):<br><br>
"Zits", Friday, July 16, 2010
[<a href="http://www.arcamax.com/zits" eudora="autourl">
http://www.arcamax.com/zits</a>].<br><br>
While cleaning house, mother Connie "huhs" (see William Safire)
on Jeremy's cell phone and wipes the screen with a cloth. It then
squeaks under her fingers. Jeremy is aghast: "Did you
just spit-bath my iPhone?"<br><br>
Joel<br><br>
At 7/17/2010 09:49 AM, Bill Palmer wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Don't know about the Army, or
"bird bath", but in the Navy the described<br>
ablution was called a "spit bath", or a "Marine bath"
(put on your dress<br>
blues and wash anything that shows)<br><br>
Bill P<br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
From: "Paul Frank" <paulfrank@POST.HARVARD.EDU><br>
To: <ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU><br>
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 9:27 AM<br>
Subject: bird bath<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">----------------------
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Sender: American Dialect Society
<ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU><br>
Poster: Paul Frank
<paulfrank@POST.HARVARD.EDU><br>
Subject: bird bath<br>
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<br>
An American visitor used the expression "bird bath" yesterday
to refer<br>
to a quick bath, or wash, with very little water. My paper edition
of<br>
the OED doesn't include this meaning of bird bath. DARE does have an<br>
entry for it. My friend, who's originally from Massachusetts and who<br>
recently left the army, says that she's always used the term.<br><br>
Paul<br><br>
Paul Frank<br>
Translator<br>
German, French, Italian > English<br>
Rue du Midi 1, Aigle, Switzerland<br>
paulfrank@post.harvard.edu<br>
paul.frank@bfs.admin.ch<br><br>
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