choppergate

[victor steinbok]

I have no problem with the preposition--it's the two nouns (and perhaps the
verb) that bother me. "X spotted from Y" has certain restrictions on X and
Y. The restriction is violated on X and Y does not fit the narrative
(although it fits the restriction)--unless, that is, a reporter identified
the scandal on the spot (and named it) while peering from inside a grill.

As for the second--it's called "fence", live with it.

VS-)

PS: I miss the "Hollywood Minute", if the connection wasn't obvious.
Actually, it's not the Hollywood Minute that I miss--but the fact that it
might have been one of the last regular sketches on SNL that was not
completely half-witted.

On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 11:14 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

>
> At 8/29/2011 07:57 AM, victor steinbok wrote:
> >Add another -gate to the list, although this one is fairly minor:
> >
> >...
> >
> >1. Scandal spotted from a BBQ:
> >
> >"Choppergate" scandal spotted from BBQ
> >
> >
> >Although it's rather clear what this subhed means, the implication is a
> bit
> >weird, as it was not the scandal per se that was "spotted", but the
> Channel
> >9 subterfuge that ultimately caused the scandal--and, even then, it's a
> bit
> >more complicated. Apparently, a reporter for a rival station spotted the
> >Channel 9 helicopter in one location when it was being reported as being
> >somewhere else.
>
> "from" = "by, via" here.  "From" sense 14.a = Denoting ground,
> reason, cause, or motive: Because of, on account of, owing to, as a
> result of, through. Now replaced in some uses by for.
>
>
> >I also believe it has already been mentioned that this sense of BBQ or
> >barbecue is not covered in the OED. The closest is 4.a., but I'm at a loss
> >why a "backyard barbecue" has to be a "large social entertainment".
> >
> >4. a. A large social entertainment, usually in the open air, at which
> > > animals are roasted whole, and other provisions liberally supplied.
> Also
> > > attrib. orig. U.S.
> >
> >
> >Shouldn't there be an entry for small, private domestic pastime? (BBQ
> >redirects to barbecue n. 4.)
>
> Have you ever tried to keep neighbors and passers-by out of your
> small, private, domestic pastime?  See "Monty" panels from about 2
> weeks ago.)  :-)
>
> Joel
>
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>

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