fag out

[Alice Faber]

Arnold M. Zwicky wrote:
> On Apr 7, 2007, at 10:07 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>
>> I agree with Alison WRT "fagged out."...
>
> [anecdote follows]
>
> so the adjective "fagged out" 'exhausted' has, or has had, some
> currency in the u.s.  (whether it was part of billy packer's variety
> is another question.)  what about the uses of "fag" that are clearly
> verbal?

Within the discourse world of macho sports posturing, there's a common
locution of "X out" where X is the verbification of a noun connoting
weakness, femininity, or effeminacy. I think that most of these
locutions (wimp out, wuss out, pussy out, etc.) have already been cited
in this thread. While it might be interesting to speculate about
etymological concerns (after all, it's what *we* do!), CBS' appeal to
the etymology, independent of contemporary American usage, is post hoc
apologetics, pure and simple. It's exactly comparable as disingenuous
with NBC's attempts to excuse Don Imus' characterization of the Rutgers
basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" as non-racist humor; the only
difference is that Imus doesn't have an OED to stand on.

--
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Alice Faber                                      faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                           tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
New Haven, CT 06511 USA                              fax (203) 865-8963

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