propulse and ink

[Joel S. Berson]

This is definitely Natalie Angier's [with an n] style, which I think
I could recognize even not on the science pages of the NYT.  Yes
definitely a little fringy (she's the one with the bogarting
tamarinds), but I admire her writing.

And perhaps not fringy, but just rare:  The OED has propulse (v) "2.
trans. To drive or push forward or onward; to impart motion to; to
propel. rare."  Natalie's use is reflexive with the obvious object
("itself") omitted.

The OED does not (yet) have the verb "ink" as intransitive, but
Natalie's use is not far from "1. a. trans. To mark, stain, or smear
with or as with ink."

Joel

At 9/17/2010 01:46 PM, David Barnhart wrote:
>On the fringe of grammaticality (for me, anyway):
>
>
>
>None of the octopus's imitations are perfect, and they don't need to be.
>"If the predator just takes pause," said Dr. Healy, "the octopus can ink and
>jet propulse away."  Natalie Agier, "Surviving by Disguising: Nature's Game
>of Charade," The New York Times, Sept. 7, 2010, p D2
>
>
>
>DKB
>
>Barnhart at highlands.com
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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