Can you say...?

[Jonathan Lighter]

Consistent with Ben's remarks at the link,  I first heard this phrase in the wild, used by a Tennessee radio news announcer, in 1982 or early 1983.

  At that time I didn't know its origin.

  JL

Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Benjamin Zimmer
Subject: Re: Can you say...?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scot LaFaive wrote:
> Does anyone know where the phrase "can you say..." comes from (if from any
> one place), in the sense of an answer to a question. For example, if someone
> were to ask why I didn't want to go outside for a walk today (0 degrees
> out), I might say, "Can you say freezing?" framing the answer as a question.

Barry Popik wrote:
>
> Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

As discussed here in May 2005:
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0505b&L=ads-l&P=5016


--Ben Zimmer

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



---------------------------------
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org