pejoration of "stuff?"

[Douglas Kenter]

My friend Rowyn McDonald and I were sitting in a cafe yesterday when we saw
the a bag of Kettle Chips (potato chips) that said "No Stuff" on the
package, clearly meant as an advertisement.  Sure enough, when we looked at
the back, there was a little bit of explanation, something to the effect of
"No Stuff: No Trans Fats, No Artificial Flavors, Etc."

If this pejoration is actually happening, it adds yet another layer to the
already-meaning-rich "stuff."

Doug Kenter

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