lemon party

[Ben Zimmer]

I don't know what cartoon Jon's friend was watching, but "lemon party"
has received a boost of attention this week because Jon Stewart
mentioned it on "The Daily Show" on Monday. He was talking about Rick
Santorum's "Google problem," and offered a "Google break" so viewers
unfamiliar with Dan Savage's notorious appropriation of "Santorum"
could learn about it. He then said, "Santorum might as well change his
name to 'lemon party.' Go ahead, Google that, I'll wait."

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-may-9-2011/indecision-2012---good-luck-motherf--kers-edition---blather-for-elephants
(starting at about 1:40)

--bgz


On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 8:35 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> A friend called long distnace to ask the meaning of this phrase, which he'd
> heard on his favorite television cartoon. He was mystified and so was I, so
> I made inquiry of another friend, chosen at random.
>
> He confessed having heard "lemon party" a few years ago, from Mr. Burns
> of _The Simpsons_, but had no idea what it meant either.
>
> UrbanDictionary instantly revealed that the meaning is (I'm
> paraphrasing) "an orgy of unclothed, elderly homosexual men."
>
> The term seemingly derives from the name of an internationally popular
> website featuring on-the-spot pictures of such events. My good sense and
> powers of imagination kept me from going there.
>
> But here's the point: in bronto days, when I was a lad, we didn't feel the
> lack, so obvious in retrospect, of a handy designator for that particular
> referent.
>
> Why was that?
>
> JL
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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

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