"scumble" [Was: Inconsistent taboos on Fox News]

[Joel S. Berson]

I took JL's use as "To soften or render less brilliant" (OED2, sense
1.a); for the writing on the board,  "to obscure".  But of course
he's the one to say.

 > At 10/30/2007 12:06 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
 >On one show they both refused to utter it and scumbled the word
on  the board.

Joel

At 10/31/2007 12:12 PM, you wrote:
>Maybe a  lexical blend: scramble + jumble. I'm open to other
>interpretations though.
>
>Gerald Cohen
>
> > ----------
> >
>         Original message, Oct. 31, 2007 9:18 AM from James Smith:
> > So exactly what does "scumble" mean in this sense?  Or was the
> word simply used inaccurately or
> > inappropriately?
> >
> > JIM
> > --- "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET> wrote:
> >
> > > At 10/30/2007 12:06 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > >On one show they both refused to utter it and
> > > scumbled the word on  the board.
> > >
> > > As my mother the high school English teacher told
> > > me, learn a new
> > > word every day.  Thanks, JL.
> > >
> > > And OED2 does not have this non-artistic sense.
> > >
> > > Joel
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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