another euphemism

[Alice Faber]

For at least the last season or so, the Washington Capitals (NHL) have
had as one of their slogans "Rock the Red", to encourage fans to wear
red sweaters or t-shirts to games. Here's a link to a blog post with
that title from April 2008.

<http://devhawk.net/2008/04/06/Rock+The+Red.aspx>

On 6/16/10 1:53 PM, Lisa Galvin wrote:
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> I am not familiar with the term "rocking" in that sense, but I think the first time I personally heard the phrase "going commando" was on an episode of the TV show Friends, so that would put it somewhere in the mid-to late 90s? No idea where/when it actually started, though.
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> Lisa Galvin
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>> Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:44:09 -0400
>> From: aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM
>> Subject: another euphemism
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender: American Dialect Society<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster: victor steinbok<aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject: another euphemism
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Something I am not familiar with, but not claiming that it's anything
>> new (or even new to many on the list, perhaps).
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>> Perez Hilton maybe in trouble for linking to some paparazzi photos.
>> But this is a minor point. PH has been obsessed with the question of
>> whether starlets do or do not wear underwear in public. This prompted
>> a comment from the proprietor of another gossip site:
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>> “Although it seems clear that she's either going commando or rocking
>> an itsy-bitsy thong."
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>> There are plenty of raw hits on "going commando", including 24 on
>> GN--about half are a follow-up on Perez Hilton escapades while the
>> other half are from two weeks ago concerning Venus Williams [not going
>> commando]. There are a couple of other references as well.
>>
>> Having lived a sheltered life, I am also unfamiliar with this meaning
>> of "rocking" (==sporting or is there more?).
>>
>> VS-)
>>
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>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


--
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Alice Faber                                    faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                           tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
New Haven, CT 06511 USA                        fax (203) 865-8963

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