choppergate

[Dan Goncharoff]

"Completely half-witted"??

Is my wit half-full or half empty?
DanG



On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 11:37 AM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: choppergate
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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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