verbing (it)

[Arnold Zwicky]

people send me examples of all sorts.  here's one from a friend in
ohio, who notes "the startling-to-me verbing in the first paragraph":

>Pat Schroeder's New Chapter

>By Linton Weeks
>Washington Post Staff Writer
>Wednesday, February 7, 2001 ; Page C01

>At a small reception for publishers of scientific and academic
>journals, Patricia Schroeder waves her hand toward several
>dozen egghead types who are cocktailing it at the Corcoran
>Gallery of Art -- sampling shrimp and cheese kebabs, wining on
>not-too-shabby Chablis and schmoozing above the soothing strings
>of the Bellini Ensemble.

there are at least two interesting aspects of "cocktailing it": the
verbing itself, and the dummy object "it".  ("cocktailing it up" would
also have been possible, maybe also "cocktailing up a storm".)

i haven't studied any of these patterns.  there's probably some
literature about them, but if i've seen it i don't recall it.  for all
i know, the patterns are well understood.  but just in case someone
might find the example thought-provoking, there it is.

arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)