Can you feature that!?

[Victoria Neufeldt]

This meaning of 'feature' is in all the standard dictionaries, labelled
"Informal" or "Slang" in some.  It may be that the notion of "disapproving
incredulity" is in fact not central to the meaning as it is understood by
the majority of users, but that the degree of disapproval would be expressed
in the context and intonation (if spoken).

Victoria

Merriam-Webster, Inc. P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
> Of Rudolph C Troike
> Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2000 1:24 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Can you feature that!?
>
>
> I agree with Robert Kelly's interpretation; the quoted DARE definition (I
> didn't check it myself) is too spare to derive the sense of disapproving
> incredulity implied. Interesting how an important implication
> might be lost
> in a dictionary definition.
>         I am certainly familiar with the usage from south Texas, but I
> can't identify any particular source, though it sounds a bit old fashioned
> and primarily female.
>
>         Rudy
>