verb form

[Wilson Gray]

On Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 3:52 PM, Michael Sheehan <wordmall at aol.com> wrote:
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> Sender: Â  Â  Â  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Â  Â  Â  Michael Sheehan <wordmall at AOL.COM>
> Subject: Â  Â  Â verb form
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>
> Heard on CNBC this afternoon: "Bernanke seems to think he can tampen
> down inflation."
>
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A blend of _tamp_ and _damp_, no doubt.

It's too bad that the verb _damp_ has been lost in contemporary AmE.
There wouldn't have been a problem, were that not the case. Nothing
can damp my enthusiasm for the return of _damp_, v. OTOH, I can
probably curve both my dog and my enthusiasm with ease.

--
-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"––a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
–Mark Twain

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