"mosquito" = annoying buzzing person (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/17/2008 10:48 AM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>And I've heard "Chinese Water Torture" to refer to the incessant request
>by waiters at Chinese restaurants: "Do you want any more water?"

Said by people who pronounce "waiter" and "water" identically?  :-)
(Are there any such?)

Joel


> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: American Dialect Society
> > [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Joel S. Berson
> > Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 8:20 AM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: "mosquito" = annoying buzzing person
> >
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      "mosquito" = annoying buzzing person
> > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > -----------------
> >
> > A friend with whom I ate lunch yesterday later referred in
> > complimentary terms to our waiter as not having been a
> > mosquito.  Urban dictionary has a definition dated July 18,
> > 2006 of "Someone who buzzes around you, never stopping their
> > chit-chat even when they are asked to, and although their
> > voice and\or subject of discussion is extremely annoying.
> > Being a mosquito is very common in preteens(especially if
> > those maniacs are [expletive deleted] gifted), but can be
> > found also in adults."
> >
> > Very close to my friend's usage, although we did not ask him
> > to buzz off and his voice was not especially annoying.
> >
> > Not in OED3 draft revision March 2008.
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> >
>Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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