To 'droll on (and on)'

[David Bergdahl]

Maybe it's not "drone on" but "dreh on" w/the meaning "continue to bore
everyone present."

On Jan 28, 2008 5:36 PM, Rebekah <rebekah.brita at gmail.com> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Rebekah <rebekah.brita at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      To 'droll on (and on)'
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>
> I just noticed an unfamiliar use of the word "droll" as a verb on
> Gawker.com(here I expose a truly embarrassing online habit in the
> interest of
> linguistic research).
>
> "Saw Bill Clinton at 2:30 this afternoon leaving Nobu 57. He shook hands,
> posed for pictures and kissed babies. He was in good spirits and even
> listened to this woman *droll on and on* about being from Arkansas."
> LINK: http://gawker.com/349814/bill-clinton-canvasses-nobu
>
> This seems like a straightforward mistake, confusing 'droll on' with
> 'drone
> on', but led me to investigate other instances of 'droll' as a verb.
> The OED provides 'droll on' but with a different meaning, closer to the
> sense of 'droll' as an adjective:
> *
> droll, v.
> *
>
>    *1.* *intr.* To make sport or fun; to jest, joke; to play the buffoon.
> Const. *with*, *at*, *on*, *upon*.
> *1654* WHITELOCKE<
> http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-w2.html#whitelocke>
> *Jrnl. Swed. Emb.* (1772) I. 130 Whitelocke drolled with them. *1665* EARL
> OF MARLBOROUGH *Fair Warnings* 19 There was no greater argument of a
> foolish
> and inconsiderate person, than profanely to droll at Religion. *a1678* M
> ARVELL <http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-m2.html#marvell> *Wks.*
> III.
> 333 (R.) As Killegrew buffons his master, they droll on their God, but a
> much duller way. *1680* *Vind. Conforming Clergy* (ed. 2) 32 An
> Author..that
> drolls with every thing. *1739* W.
> MELMOTH<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-m3.html#w-melmoth>
> *Fitzosb. Lett.* (1763) 227 To drole upon the established religion of a
> country. *1784* COWPER<
> http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-c4.html#cowper>
> *Task* II. 369 He doubtless is in sport, and does but droll. *1894* R. B
> RIDGES <http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-b3.html#r-bridges> *Feast
> of
> Bacchus* v. 1428 To droll on a private person.
>
>
> The OED examples were unfamiliar and struck me as archaic.   But a google
> search of 'drolled on' (un-tensed 'droll on' didn't return many results)
> provided some contemporary examples of what (I think) are a number of
> distinct uses.
>
> 1)   "Wright's autobiography, *Spilling the Beans*, just hit the
> shelves<
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=480245&in_page_id=1879&in_a_source=&ito=1490
> >but
> it's not going to be quite as jolly a tale as the Britishisms she
> drolled on *Fat Ladies*."
> LINK: http://jezebel.com/gossip/chick-lit/-297121.php
> I'm not sure whether 'on' is part of the verb phrase in the above
> sentence,
> or part of a prepositional phrase with 'Fat Ladies'. The sense seems close
> to the OED usage and definitely isn't confused with 'drone on'.
>
> 2) "In both math and language, two negatives, when combined,
> make a positive. However," he drolled on, "in math or
> language two positives never make a negative."
> LINK:
>
> http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/hodgepodge/19990410_jokeshow/jokes/0324_3.htm
>
> 'Droned on' doesn't seem to be the sense here;  could 'drolled on' be
> intended to mean the continuation of a droll or witty statement?
>
>
> 3)  Supposedly from Webster's, via Everything2:
>
> *Droll*, v. t.
>
> *1.*  To lead or influence by jest or trick; to banter or jest; to
> cajole.    "Men that will not be reasoned into their senses, may yet be
> laughed or *drolled* into them."  *L'Estrange.*
>
> LINK: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=droll
>
> *
> *
> 4) 'Drone' mix-ups:  "the evening drolled on"; "the day drolled on"; "the
> debate drolled on".  Google provided at least several hundred instances of
> 'drolled on' mistaken for 'droned on' (google: "drolled on about", "droll
> on
> and on", "the x drolled on").
>
>
>
> Is anyone on the list familiar with verbal 'droll', especially the
> construction 'droll on'?   Is this more common among British English
> speakers?
>
> ________________
>
> Rebekah B.
> Bryn Mawr College '07
> rebekah.brita at gmail.com
>
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