words of one syllable dept. revisited

[Neal Whitman]

That's also what I remember reading in _The Right Stuff_.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Marc Velasco" <marcjvelasco at GMAIL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: words of one syllable dept. revisited


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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Marc Velasco <marcjvelasco at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: words of one syllable dept. revisited
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> If I'm not mistaken, 'push the envelope' originated during the design and
> testing of new airplanes, think Chuck Yaeger.  All aircraft have
> constraints
> they're designed for: maximum altitude, maximum angles of ascent, turning
> rates, etc.  Together they constitute an 'envelope' of safe flying
> parameters.  To push the envelope is to push, metaphorically from inside
> (?), the outer ranges of what an aircraft is capable of attaining.
>
> At least that's what they told me in aerospace class.
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
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>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: words of one syllable dept. revisited
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> If taken analogously to "push the envelope" (originally "push the outside
>> of
>> the envelope"?) --   meaning "try to extend the range of the possible" --
>> it
>> would mean something like 'move the status quo forward, keep up with the
>> times'. Metaphorically I envision pushing the envelope as something like
>> being inside a comic-strip speech balloon and pushing on the side to
>> enlarge
>> it.
>>
>> m a m
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 11:47 AM, Marc Velasco <marcjvelasco at gmail.com
>> >wrote:
>>
>> > I think that he said what he meant.
>> >
>> > > "Sen. McCain has always pushed the status quo and I believe Gov.
>> > > Palin will do the same."
>> > >
>> >
>> > Presumably, he meant 'pushed (in a direction)' rather than 'promoted
>> > (as
>> in
>> > drug use)'.
>> >
>> > The status quo in politics is often more of the same; to push it
>> > (towards
>> > something) might entail pushing against those who want to protect the
>> > status
>> > quo and all the pocket lining that goes with it.  Perhaps.
>> >
>> >
>>
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