motoring

[Mark A Mandel]

Speaking of words that have gone to word heaven, Safire includes among
them "motoring", now supplanted by "driving". There is a current
billboard for, iirc, the PT Cruiser, bearing at the bottom the motto
"Let's motor!". Now, the PT series is deliberately retro in design, and
this phrase is tagged on the billboard as a trademark or service mark or
something of the sort. Obviously the advertiser is using the word for
the very characteristic that brings Safire to call it moribund.
Nevertheless, this ad campaign must produce some current citations for
it, and may even kickstart the old engine into rolling over a little
longer.

-- Mark A. Mandel
   Linguist at Large