Toxic gumbo

[Jonathan Lighter]

Fox News Channel used it yesterday, in reference to the combination of dirt, oil, debris, and toxic waste expected to pollute flood waters from Katrina.

I wouldn't call this a "stunt term," just a metaphor.  An apt one, too.  "Gumbo" is widely used in La. for both a kind of thick stew and a kind of thick mud.

JL

Barnhart <barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Barnhart
Subject: Re: Toxic gumbo
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This may just be a "stunt word", to use John Algeo's term for made-up
words that often do not have any longevity.

Regards,
David

barnhart at highlands.com

American Dialect Society on Monday, August 29,
2005 at 9:12 AM -0500 wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: bapopik at AOL.COM
>Subject: Toxic gumbo
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>"Toxic gumbo" is being used on AOL for the New Orleans "Katrina & the
>Waves" storm today.

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