shellacking

[Jonathan Lighter]

The 1924 date beats HDAS (1930), but I found no citational bias toward the
South or to AAVE.  With New York and Chicago the sportswriting capitals of
America for decades, the cites seem to favor their spheres of influence.

I too found Obama's usage unremarkable, though I haven't heard the word in a
long time. It may be getting attention because it suggests a total defeat,
with the victim beaten nearly helpless.

The corresponding active verb is far less common.

JL

On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 8:57 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: shellacking
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Punch-drunk" also connects the two senses, and goes back at least as far.
> DanG
>
> On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 12:59 AM, Ben Zimmer
> <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu>wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> > Subject:      shellacking
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Obama's reference to the Democrats' electoral "shellacking" is the
> > inspiration for my latest Word Routes column:
> >
> > http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/2479/
> >
> > I've found the "beating" sense going back to 1924, in boxing circles.
> > Antedatings welcome, as always.
> >
> > --bgz
> >
> > --
> > Ben Zimmer
> > http://benzimmer.com/
> >
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> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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