borderline

[Jonathan Lighter]

Now often as an adv.: "Only borderline talented."

JL



On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 7:12 PM, 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:      borderline
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>
> Borderline adj., borderline case (listed under borderline 2.) and
> borderliner, as applied to "insanity", are in the OED. Borderline
> personality, borderline personality disorder and subsequent
> "borderline", meaning someone with borderline personality disorder, are
> not. Note that the original borderline and derived borderline are not
> equivalent, although they are clearly related.
>
> > 2. attrib. or as adj. Occupying a border-line; esp. in phr.
> > border-line case; spec.  (a) verging on the indecent or obscene;  (b)
> > verging on insanity.
>
> AHD4 does a somewhat better job:
>
> > 1. a. Verging on a given quality or condition: borderline poverty.
> >     b. Of a questionable nature or quality: an applicant with
> > borderline qualifications.
> > 2. a. Psychology: Relating to any phenomenon that is intermediate
> > between two groups and not clearly categorized in either group: a
> > borderline state showing the characteristics of both neurotic and
> > psychotic reactions.
> >     b.Relating to a condition characterized by a pattern of
> > instability in mood, interpersonal relations, and self-image, and
> > manifested by self-destructive, impulsive, and inconsistent behavior:
> > the borderline syndrome.
>
>     VS-)
>
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