sit-in (verb)

Wilson Gray hwgray at GMAIL.COM
Mon Sep 26 19:16:25 UTC 2005


I'm with you on this, Larry. I consider "sat-in" as a verb spelled
with a hyphen to be at best a typo or just a computerese-style
mistake, like "You must first log-out and then re-log-in in order to
activate this software."

It reminds me of the time when I was in the Army and there was an
almost-came-to-blows argument as to whether the relevant forms of
"re-up" were "re-upping, re-upped" or "re-ing up, re'd up."

-Wilson

On 9/26/05, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: sit-in (verb)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >OED has "sit-in" as a noun and adjective going back to 1937, but nothing
> >as a verb.
>
> Not to be picky, but for me (and pace Victor Reisel or his editor)
> the verb would have to be "sat in", sans hyphen.  OK, to be picky.
>
> Larry
>
> >These can, no doubt, be antedated.
> >
> >Harlem Sit-In at City Hall Wins Promise of Heat for Tenements
> >By CHARLES G. BENNETT
> >New York Times (1857-Current file); Jan 22, 1965; pg. 17 col 3
> >"Two groups of Harlem tenants sat in at City Hall yesterday to protest a
> >lack of heat and hot water in their tenements."
> >
> >
> >
> >Sit-In at Welfare Protests Investigators' Behavior
> >The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973); Nov 9, 1966; pg. A25 col
> >1.
> >"Six woman welfare recipients sat in at the District Welfare Department
> >building at 500 1st st. nw. yesterday to protest the behavior of welfare
> >investigators on Sunday."
> >
> >
> >"Slow Down May Hit Government" by Victor Reisel (syndicated column)
> >Wisconsin | Manitowoc | Herald Times Reporter | 1976-09-29 p. 4 col 6.
> >"They've seized the office of an assistant secretary of labor. They've
> >"sat-in." "
>


--
-Wilson Gray



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