another euphemism

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 6:44 PM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 鄭lthough it seems clear that she's either going commando or rocking
> an itsy-bitsy thong."
[...]
> Having lived a sheltered life, I am also unfamiliar with this meaning
> of "rocking" (==sporting or is there more?).

You'll want to check out the draft entry for "rock" (v.1) in the OED's
latest quarterly update, particularly sense 12.c.: "To wear, esp. with
panache; to display, flaunt, or sport (as a personally distinctive
style, accessory, possession, etc.)" (with cites back to 1987).

See also the long thread initiated by Neal Whitman in 2008:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind0809b&L=ads-l&T=1#18


--Ben Zimmer

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