Sneezing with a mouthfull of paint

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Sign her up to the ADS-L.  This is interesting.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mark A. Mandel
> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 9:46 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Sneezing with a mouthfull of paint
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mark A. Mandel" <mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      Sneezing with a mouthfull of paint
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
>   This message is in MIME format.  The first part should be
> readable text,
>   while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without
> MIME-aware tools.
>
> --0-1800202894-1144421059=:84154
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=UTF8
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
> Content-ID: <20060407104442.E84154 at lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
>
> On Fri, 7 Apr 2006, Maria da F=E9 Peres wrote:
>
> #Dear Mark Mandel,=20
> #
> #Once Yu kindly helped me solving a problam regarndg a "still woman"
> #(messages aboves). The book was happily concluded in due
> time, already at #print, and hope will published nex May.
> #
> #Now, I am again puzzled with an expression at new book I am
> translating.
> #This one belongs to a tipically american author (it's a
> thriller) and some #of the words or sentences probably are
> very located in USA.
> #
> #The expression is: "Sneezing with a mouthfull of paint"
> within the followi= ng #context:=20 # #someone speaks about
> an art critic who claims (imodestly) to be very #specialised
> in a determined famous painter. The other person answers the
> #above sentence.
> #
> #I think this is an idiomatic expression, perhaps with the
> sense that this #particular critic speaks/claims a lot more
> than he ought. But I'm not sure= =2E # #Could yu kindly help
> once more?
> #Thanks in advance
> #Maria Peres
> # =20
> #P.S. By the way, do yu know an online service who answers
> doubts like this #one, particular for english from America?=20
>
>
> I'm not familiar with this expression as an idiom, or with
> any similar=20 idiom. But with the limited context that you
> have provided, I get a strong= =20 impression that the
> expression refers not to what the critic is saying, but= =20
> to the painter's style: that his canvases don't look as if he
> had painted= =20 them, but as if he had sneezed with a
> mouthful of paint -- that is, paint i= s=20 scattered
> randomly all over the canvas.
>
> By the way, "specialised in a determined famous painter" is
> obscure; do you= =20 mean "specific" rather than "determined"?
>
> I don't know of any online service as such for such
> questions, but I am=20 copying this reply to the American
> Dialect Society, as before. Question to= =20 the subscribers
> of the list: is this all right with you, in terms of list=
> =20 protocol?
>
> -- Mark A. Mandel
> [This text prepared with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.]
>
> --0-1800202894-1144421059=:84154--
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org