celebutard

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 6/8/07, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> At 9:42 AM -0400 6/8/07, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
> >On 6/8/07, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>A Fox News spot just characterized Paris Hilton as a "celebutard."
> >>
> >>[Perh. blend of _celebrity_ + _debutante_ + _bankcard_, in ref. to
> >>her fabulous shopping sprees]
> >>
> >>   Perh.
> >
> >It's far more unkind. Try _celebrity_ + _debutante_ + _retard_.
>
> um, I believe that's what JL had in mind...

Yes, it appears we all missed the subtle Lighterian wit (except for
Larry H., clearly on his wavelength).

> >More here:
> >http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004066.html


--Ben Zimmer

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