Tweaking out

[Benjamin Zimmer]

See my post of 8/10/05 for meth- and cocaine-related uses of
"tweak/tweek (out)".

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0508B&L=ADS-L&P=R3912&I=-3

--Ben


On 3/15/07, Erik Hoover <grinchy at grinchy.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Erik Hoover <grinchy at GRINCHY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Tweaking out
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Tweaking has an elctronics use, but also is an insider term for the
> methamphetamine experience.  This latter use would contribute to a
> blend like 'tweaking out'.
>
> Erik
> On Mar 15, 2007, at 2:21 PM, Landau, James wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Landau, James" <James.Landau at NGC.COM>
> > Subject:      Tweaking out
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ---------
> >
> > http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
> > 2003618824_harding15m.ht
> > ml
> > <quote>
> > Clark County sheriff's deputies responded to two calls early Sunday
> > involving infamous figure skater Tonya Harding, who was described in
> > police reports as "very agitated" and "tweaking out."
> > <snip>
> > Later the same morning, about 9 a.m., police received another call
> > regarding Harding, this time from a friend who told authorities the
> > skater was "tweaking out, seeing animals." The caller said Harding was
> > staying with her and was not violent. She said she worried about
> > her own
> > children's welfare.
> > </quote>
> > Google has 24,600 hits for "tweaking out" and 1.35 million for
> > "freaking
> > out", which may be the original phrase.  Of the 24,600, some refer to
> > electronic phenemona.
> > Considering that the unnamed 9 a.m. caller had legitimate reason to
> > fear
> > for the safety of her children if not herself, we have something
> > that I
> > do not recall seeing before in ADS-L:  a stress malaprop.
> > UrbanDictionary.com at
> > http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=3DTweaking+out gives
> > the
> > definition as "Suddenly getting really kick-ass and unbeatable in
> > Smash
> > Bros. due to some unknown source of adrenaline or many hours of
> > practice."  Duh?
> >       - Jim Landau=20
> >

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