ADS-L Digest - 8 May 2009 to 9 May 2009 (#2009-130)

[Wilson Gray]

Back in my Army days, we used to speak of "getting the bads," but
"taking the meat" and "eating the green weenie" were more popular.

-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
-Mark Twain





On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 6:57 PM, Betsy Lowe <bbjmlowe at embarqmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: Â  Â  Â  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Â  Â  Â  Betsy Lowe <bbjmlowe at EMBARQMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Â  Â  Â Re: ADS-L Digest - 8 May 2009 to 9 May 2009 (#2009-130)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I think the use of the terms in the "the +" category are regional, and =
> have probably been around for a long time. Â As a military wife, I didn't =
> run into them till we moved to North Carolina, the furthest south I've =
> ever lived, and phrases like "get the mads (or 'mad') out," and "catch =
> the ugly from his parents," are quite common around here. Â  I really =
> like the phrase " get the mads out," because I have quite a temper, and =
> I look for ways to "get the mads out." =20
>
> I also think that the rule for using "one hundred ten," vs. "one hundred =
> and ten," is one of those arbitrary rules imposed in the 19th century =
> that many of us were still taught in the 1960s. Â There was a writer in =
> the 19th century who fancied himself a grammarian, and he's the one who =
> gave us the "never end a sentence with a preposition" rule, among =
> others. Â There was no rhyme or reason for many of the rules he set forth =
> in his book, but they became accepted as gospel. Â Please don't ask me =
> where I read this; I believe it was a Bill Bryson book, but I couldn't =
> swear to it.
>
> Betsy Lowe
> Jay and Molly's mom
> 910-483-2268
> "I suddenly realized that
> anyone doing anything
> weird really wasn't that
> weird at all and it was the
> people saying that they=20
> were weird that were
> weird."
> Paul McCartney
> Â Date: Â  Â Sat, 9 May 2009 01:33:27 -0400
> Â From: Â  Â Herb Stahlke <hfwstahlke at GMAIL.COM>
> Â Subject: Re: Heard on MSNBC
>
> Â I'm guessing that you're a bit younger than I am. Â Is this a
> Â generational or an age-graded usage?
>
> Â Herb
>
> Â On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 9:34 PM, Kari Castor <castor.kari at gmail.com> =
> wrote:
> Â > ---------------------- Information from the mail header =
> -----------------------
> Â > Sender: Â  Â  Â  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Â > Poster: Â  Â  Â  Kari Castor <castor.kari at GMAIL.COM>
> Â > Subject: Â  Â  Â Re: Heard on MSNBC
> Â > =
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
> Â >
> Â > I don't know about the relative newness, but it's quite a common =
> usage among
> Â > the people I know.
> Â > the hiv (for this type of usage, HIV is typically pronounced =
> phonetically,
> Â > not spelled out) - as in, "Don't touch Paris Hilton; you'll get the =
> hiv."
> Â > the stupid - as in, "That guy has a bad case of the stupid."
> Â > the ugly - as in, "Lucky that kid didn't catch the ugly from his =
> parents."
> Â >
> Â >
> Â >
> Â >
> Â >
> Â > On Fri, May 8, 2009 at 8:12 PM, Herb Stahlke <hfwstahlke at gmail.com> =
> wrote:
> Â >
> Â >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> Â >> -----------------------
> Â >> Sender: Â  Â  Â  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Â >> Poster: Â  Â  Â  Herb Stahlke <hfwstahlke at GMAIL.COM>
> Â >> Subject: Â  Â  Â Heard on MSNBC
> Â >>
> Â >> =
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
> Â >>
> Â >> Rachel Maddow frequently uses the phrase "the gay" derisively of
> Â >> people, usually conservative Republicans, who think homosexuality =
> is
> Â >> an acquired behavior. Â This evening Keith Olberman used "the funny" =
> in
> Â >> a similar way when talking about whether Obama would be humorous at
> Â >> the Correspondents' Dinner. Â Is this use of "the" + adjective a new
> Â >> pattern? Â Obviously "the" + adjective is a common construction =
> that's
> Â >> been around a long time as in "The difficult is done at once; the
> Â >> impossible takes a little longer." Â It's this derisive or ironic =
> use
> Â >> of the construction that feels new.
> Â >>
> Â >> Herb
> Â >>
> Â >> Date: Â  Â Sat, 9 May 2009 00:42:23 -0500
> Â From: Â  Â Kari Castor <castor.kari at GMAIL.COM>
> Â Subject: Re: Heard on MSNBC
>
> Â Definitely.
> Â I'm mid-20s. Â The vast majority of people whom I've heard use that
> Â construction are probably under 30.
>
>
>
> Â On Sat, May 9, 2009 at 12:33 AM, Herb Stahlke <hfwstahlke at gmail.com> =
> wrote:
>
> Â >
> Â Date: Â  Â Sat, 9 May 2009 01:12:06 -0500
> Â From: Â  Â Kari Castor <castor.kari at GMAIL.COM>
> Â Subject: Re: Heard on MSNBC
>
> Â There's also things like "the sex," where "the" is something like an
> Â intensifier:
> Â Wolverine is the sex =3D Wolverine is very sexy
>
>
> Â But "the sex" can also be used to indicate general awesomeness:
> Â This cake is the sex =3D This cake is delicious.
>
> Â Although there is typically some sense of the erotic or sensual even =
> in the
> Â "generally awesome" usage.
>
>
> Â I should also mention perhaps that the social circles I typically run =
> in
> Â belong to the broadly-defined "geek" subculture. Â Lexicon is strongly
> Â influenced by the internet, gaming, computers in general, sci-fi and
> Â fantasy, comics, etc.
>
> Â I can't really say whether this construction of "the + noun" is as =
> common
> Â outside of these circles.
>
>
>
> Â > > > >>
> Â > > >
> Â > >
> Â >is
> Â > > > >> an acquired behavior.=3DA0 This evening Keith Olberman used =
> "the fun=3D
> Â ny"
> Â > in
> Â > > > >> a similar way when talking about whether Obama would be =
> humorous a=3D
> Â t
> Â > > > >> the Correspondents' Dinner.=3DA0 Is this use of "the" + =
> adjective a =3D
> Â new
> Â > > > >> pattern?=3DA0 > > > >>
> Â I guess, that's the difference between fourth-grade grammar and grad =
> school.
>
> Â  Â  Â VS-)
>
> Â Tom Zurinskas wrote:
> Â >> And declaring
> Â >> something to be a rule because "perhaps there is good reason for =
> the
> Â >> rule" is the equivalent of parental "because I told you so".
> Â >>
> Â >
> Â > Actually I said we are given rules to follow whether or not we know =
> they are reasonable. Â I guess we assume they are reasonable until we =
> find out different. Â I don't know about you, but I considered my =
> parents' dictates "because I told you so" as rules regardless if it made =
> sense or not. Â ;).
>
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>

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