Strange use of "baby daddy"

[ronbutters at AOL.COM]

It seems perfectly clear that the intended meaning is simply "I am your father," or, rather, "I hereby reveal that I am your father." The phrase "baby daddy" is not taken to mean merely 'baby's daddy' but 'surprise parental unit'. I understand that the derived usage is not quite the same as in the normal vernacular. But such a slight extension of meaning I'd perfectly natural and normal.

I have no idea what Larry means by "same ring," but semantic change by definition alters meaning. It tolls for me.

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 17, 2011, at 11:20 AM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU> wrote:

> At 7:58 AM -0500 2/17/11, ronbutters at AOL.COM wrote:
>> It seems clear enough that "baby daddy" in this context is supposed
>> to be taken to mean 'father of a child born out of wedlock;
>> biological father'.
>
> i.e. "Luke, I am your mama's baby daddy, with respect to you and
> Princess Leia."  Doesn't have the same ring to it.
>
> LH
>
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Feb 16, 2011, at 5:47 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>
>>> In three separate, parodic versions of Star Wars seen here and there
>>> on the tube, Darth Vader says to Luke Skywalker:
>>>
>>> "Luke, I am your _baby daddy_."
>>>
>>>
>>> The use occurs in parodies. So, I assume that it's meant to be funny.
>>> But I just don't get it. How does
>>>
>>> "Luke, I am your baby daddy," i.e. "the father of your child"
>>>
>>> come close to making enough sense, given that Luke doesn't have a
>>> child, to parody
>>>
>>> "Luke, I am your father"?
>>>
>>> If Luke has a child and Darth, instead of saying what everyone
>>> expects, that he's *Luke's* father, says, rather, that he's the father
>>> of Luke's *child*, especially expressing that claim in BE syntax, out
>>> of place, to say the least, WRT the manner of speech used in Star
>>> Wars, then *that* would be funny. IMO, IAC.
>>>
>>> Well, "different strokes," as they say.
>>>
>>> --
>>> -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
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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