The Verbing Man (1887)
Benjamin Zimmer
bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU
Fri Jul 28 16:59:43 UTC 2006
Stumbled across this gem while looking for "turkey" as a verb in bowling...
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Los Angeles Times, Feb. 3, 1887, p. 9/2
[HNP Doc ID 318439292]
The Verbing Man.
"Oh, yes I Christmased," says the man,
Who skips from verb to noun;
I dined and turkeyed à la mode,
And curry sauced in town.
I restauranted everywhere,
I whiskyed, beered and aled;
Cigared I on Havanas rare,
And on Regalias galed.
I New Yeared, too, on viands rich
And I champagned myself;
Or Tomed and Jerryed -- can't tell which,
Expenditured my pelf.
I resolutioned on that day,
As spirits throbbed my head;
But when the pangs next panged away,
I just cocktailed instead.
--Texas Siftings.
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--Ben Zimmer
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