Rubberneck

[Aaron E. Drews]

Bob Haas wrote:
>
> Which goes to show that one not be in an auto to rubberneck.  I've always
> taken it to mean lawful, if undesired, looking on by passersby or
> tourist-types or simple, everyday variety loafers.  I suppose we've come to
> associate rubbernecking with cars because folks so seldom leave theirs
> anymore.

I agree.  I remember using it for students in high school who didn't
adequately prepare for a test and decided to "compare notes" with those
sitting around them.  The use of 'rubberneck' might have been an
extension of the vehicular version.

--Aaron


________________________________________________________________________
Aaron E. Drews                               The University of Edinburgh
aaron at ling.ed.ac.uk                  Departments of English Language and
http://www.ling.ed.ac.uk/~aaron       Theoretical & Applied  Linguistics

Bide lang an fa fair
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