to "course-correct"

[Laurence Horn]

a couple I've noted recently:
(1) "ice-sculpt" ("Did you know he [Phil, the Bill Murray character] could ice-sculpt?", Groundhog Day)
(2) "binge-drank"
And you posted some nice shopping ones a while back ("to Christmas-shop", "to holiday-shop", "to birthday-shop", "to car-shop").

LH

On Oct 3, 2011, at 11:40 AM, Arnold Zwicky wrote:

> On Oct 3, 2011, at 7:35 AM, Jon Lighter wrote:
>>
>> CNN: "How does Rick Perry course-correct?"
>>
>> Talking Head: "I'm not sure that he *can* course-correct."
>
> looks like a nice back-formation, from the compound "course correction" 'correction in course'.  so in a group with other back-formations from composites of the form
> non-predicating modifier + deverbal N
> ("free-associate" from "free association", "gay marry" from "gay marriage").
>
> arnold
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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