Heard on Springer: _strewn_ [stroUn]

[Ben Zimmer]

On Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 1:39 PM, Alison Murie wrote:
>
> On Aug 25, 2011, at 1:09 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
> >
> > BTW, does anyone else have the impression that stuff comes and goes?
> > At one time, the airwaves were swamped with people saying
> > "forMIDable." Then, it just went away. Now, I've begun to hear it
> > again, from time to time, as FORmidable," the same pronunciation as
> > was used, IIRC, before the word had its fifteen minutes of fame.
> >
> Yes, I've registered the same thing & have the impression that it's
> just one among many such examples.  Can't bring any to mind just now..

Stephen Colbert, FWIW, says "FORmidable" in his recurring self-debate,
"Formidable Opponent":

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/391148/june-30-2011/colbert-report--formidable-opponent---pakistan

(That segment also has the blend "incompetlicit" -- "incompetent" +
"complicit".)

--bgz

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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