Verbification of Martha Stewart

[Alice Faber]

--On Thursday, December 23, 2004 7:47 AM -0500 David Bowie
<db.list at PMPKN.NET> wrote:

> From:    Alice Faber <faber at HASKINS.YALE.EDU>
>
> : I was struck by this (perhaps) nonce-formation in the Toronto Sun,
> : quoting Eric Lindros:  "Myself, I've bought a house in the area and
> : I've Martha Stewart-ed it up."
> : (<http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2004/12/21/792489.html>)
>
> I've heard it as simply the verb "to Martha", as in "I've Marthaed
> [Marthad?] up my living room."
>
> Now that i think about it, it seems that the verb as i've heard (and used)
> it is "to Martha up", close to what Lindros said.
>
> I've heard it more often as an adjective, though, as in "It was just way
> too Martha for me."
>
> Of course, with Alice's quote you've got a big, burly hockey player using
> "to Martha Stewart up" as something that he does. Nothing like being
> secure in one's masculinity, eh?

Of course, this is a big, burly hockey player who's occupying his time
during the NHL lockout by taking economics courses (aside from decorating a
new house). So, he's hardly typical in a lot of ways.


--
Alice Faber
Haskins Labs, 270 Crown St, New Haven, CT, 06511
T: (203) 865-6163 x258 F: (203) 865-8963
faber at haskins.yale.edu