"change out a window", "paint out a shelf"

[Victoria Neufeldt]

I've seen 'paint out' used regularly in decorating magazines.  The homeowner
is advised to "paint out the trim", for example.  I have assumed that that
meant paint it the same colour as the walls, so that it doesn't stand out
anymore.  Maybe I've misinterpreted the usage, but I haven't really seen
enough clear contexts to say that that isn't the case.  Probably simply
because when trim or a mantel or whatever is painted it's usually a change
from stained/varnished wood.

Victoria Neufeldt

Victoria Neufeldt
Editor, DSNA Newsletter
727 9th Street East
Saskatoon, Sask.
S7H 0M6
Canada
Tel: (306) 955-8910


----- Original Message -----
From: "Stvan, Laurel S" <stvan at UTA.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: "change out a window", "paint out a shelf"


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Stvan, Laurel S" <stvan at UTA.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "change out a window", "paint out a shelf"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> =93Change out=94 seems to work like a phrase that is growing in use here =
> in north Texas: =93swap out=94.  I never encountered =93swap=94 with a =
> particle till about two years ago. Now all around me people are swapping =
> out the dishes in the dishwasher, or the laundry in the washer, or they =
> swap out old carpeting for new, or an old hard drive for a new one.  The =
> window change-out seems to share this =93out with the old, in the new=94 =
> reading.
>
> =93Paint out=94 is a new one on me, though.
>
> Laurel Smith Stvan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Smith [mailto:jsmithjamessmith at YAHOO.COM]
> Sent: Thu 7/20/2006 10:58
> Subject: Re: "change out a window", "paint out a shelf"
> =20
> Change out a(n)...  part, piece, component, etc.
> sounds natural to me.
>
> Paint out ...  never heard such an expression.
>
> SLC, UT
>
>
> --- neil <neil at TYPOG.CO.UK> wrote:
<SNIP>

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