verbing (it)

[Mark A. Mandel]

Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU> writes:

>>>>>
>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.
<<<<<

I've seen this construction often enough to accept it smoothly, though as
something of an archaism; I haven't encountered it in contemporary use.
Shakespeare has it, IIRC, in such expressions as "king it" meaning 'to act
as king'.

-- Mark A. Mandel