Three silly pieces

[Laurence Horn]

At 7:08 PM -0400 7/8/10, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>  Very quick response from the reporter. I've heard "bigs" before, but,
>in this case, it was "a big", which is not in my memory banks.

It should be!  There's been talk for years about playing a big (or
two bigs) against a given player.  "A big" for "a big guy" has been
standard in the NBA (and NCAA men's basketball) for quite a while,
I'd say.  I haven't heard any parallel use of "a small".

LH

>
>>Generally, NBA people call centers and big guys "bigs" and that's a
>>term that's become normal over the past few years. So it was a
>>complete quote,
>>
>>
>>Gary Washburn
>>NBA/Celtics Reporter
>>Boston Globe
>
>     VS-)
>
>On 7/8/2010 6:20 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>>...
>>3. In a Boston Globe story (July 7) on the Celtics trying to negotiate
>>with centers Kwame Brown and Shaquille O'Neill, Celtics coach, Doc
>>Rivers, is quoted as saying, "Nothing is out of the question, we need
>>a big." It's possible that this is a screwed up partial quote. It is
>>also possible, however, that Rivers really did say "a big" meaning "a
>>big guy". Can't tell without a tape. I requested further clarification
>>from the reporter, but I am not holding my fingers crossed.
>>...
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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