"stilted"

[Wilson Gray]

"... being jumped on for what they say ..."

Remember back when the Northern-white press went nuts over Clinton's
use of "jump on"? Suddenly, that particular meaning of "jump on" is as
common as "baby daddy," heard a few seconds ago in the voice-over of
an ad for the sitcom, "The King of Queens."

-Wilson

On 3/6/07, James A. Landau <JJJRLandau at netscape.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "James A. Landau" <JJJRLandau at NETSCAPE.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "stilted"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Tuesday 03/06/07 at 12:00 AM Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
>
> <q>
> A syndicated "opinion" column by Michael Goodwin of the _NY Daily News,as printed in the _Athens (GA) Banner-Herald_ this morning, contains this clause:  ". . . Bush's failed presidency has stilted all debate into a knee-jerk response." "Tilted"? "Stifled"?
> </q>
>
> Maybe he meant to say "stilted".  It fits the context about as well as your two suggestions.  "(of speech or writing) stiff and self-conscious or unnatural".  The way candidates and their supporters are being jumped on for what they say (McCain and Biden, Geffen and Coulter come to mind), debate is definitely starting to sound stiff self-conscious and perhaps unnatural.
>
>    - Jim Landau
>
> If Obama is NOT "African-American", then may I still insult his Democratic opponents by calling them "white trash"?
>
>
>
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> Netscape.  Just the Net You Need.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                                      -Sam'l Clemens

Dope wil get you through times of no money better than money will get
you through times of no dope.
-----
                                         -Free-Wheeling Franklin

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