Contemporary slang bites the big one

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Sat, May 13, 2006 at 06:30:54PM -0400, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
> On 5/13/06, Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> >
> >On Sat, May 13, 2006 at 05:58:47PM -0400, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
> >>  *That really bit.
> >
> >This is non-asterisked in my idiolect.
>
> Well, perhaps it deserves a question mark if not an asterisk. I see
> HDAS has a relevant cite from 1978 ("Door-to-door really bit on a cold
> day").

Here are two more from our files:

1998 Time Out N.Y. 31 Dec. 86/1 I'm told the book on which it
was based, _A Prayer for Owen Meany,_ was quite good. Well, the
movie bit. I cut out early.

2002 Washington Post (Home ed.) 18 Jan. C8/2 Your
attitude..was, and is, brilliant, clap clap clap. But your
delivery totally bit.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED

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