yet another meaning for "brokeback"

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

the "Slang" feature on the "Know + Tell" page (p. 51: "Numbers,
nomenclature, and news for the conspicuously clued-in") in the
January/February 2006 issue of Details magazine  (GQ for young, hip,
and fashion-conscious metrosexuals and gay men) offers yet another
meaning for "brokeback":'

-----
adj.  Descriptor for any activity performed together by two
heterosexual men (e.g. brokeback brunching, brokeback shopping,
etc.).  PROVENANCE: Suburban cineplexes.  USAGE: "Where's Bob?"  "Oh,
he's out brokeback bowling with Dale."
-----

this is not quite the same thing as the "man date" described in the
NYT last spring, since "man date" specifically excluded standard guy
activities like going to sports events, having a drink together at
the neighborhood bar, jogging together, etc.

but in the usage example, "brokeback" contributes very  little, since
"with Dale" specifies that Bob is bowling with another man
(presumably, the sexual orientations of the two men are already known
to the speakers, and in any case are irrelevant to their
participation in bowling); "he's out bowling with Dale" would do just
as well, and is shorter.  in "he's out brokeback bowling",
"brokeback" contributes something, but the sentence is less
informative than "he's out bowling with Dale".

somehow i don't think this one has much of a future.  i wouldn't put
any money on it.

two-person activities that are not part of some kind of courtship
ritual -- activities involving two people who are, literally, just
friends -- are in fact commonplace in our society, and involve all
possible combinations of sexes and sexualities, but there's no
general term for them.

arnold

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