New Sense of "Spinster"

[Laurence Horn]

At 9:23 AM -0800 2/19/03, Dave Wilton wrote:
>I've just noticed a new sense of "spinster" meaning spin doctor, often seen
>in the phrase "political spinster."
>
>"You are a disgusting political spinster with no concern for the truth, only
>your own righteousness." alt.politics.media, 15 Nov 1999.
>
>"He's no James Carville, but Mark Fabiani has an impressive resume as a
>political spinster." rec.sports.football.pro.oak-raiders, 15 May 2002
>
>"He [Drudge] doesn't write anything himself, so I don't see how he can be a
>fake reporter (don't think he even holds himself out as a reporter), nor a
>spinster, when he doesn't add anything to the story, let alone spin."
>alt.politics.bush, 19 Jul 2002.
>
>"For the political spinsters and pundits on AO" alt.obituaries, 18 Feb 2003.

Well, since the earlier _spinster_ has been taboo-avoided into
oblivion (no wonder they're calling the TV show "The Bachelorette";
hard to imagine "The Spinster" earning the same ratings), it's been
liberated for the new use.  Which is in effect the old one
(metaphorically extended), given that  _spinster_ started out with
the general value 'one who spins' and was sex-neutral, so the above
use (= "spinmeister") is a kind of reclamation.

larry