Maddened by Mad Men

[Shapiro, Fred]

Isn't this just an example of the phrasal verb "to hold down," documented by the OED back to 1891 and by now well established in phrases such as "to hold down a job"?

Fred



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From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Hunter, Lynne R CIV SPAWARSYSCEN-PACIFIC, 71700 [lynne.hunter at NAVY.MIL]
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 12:46 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Maddened by Mad Men

Recent annoyance from _Mad Men_: "Miss Holloway can hold down the fort."
"Hold _down_ the fort" is irritating enough in the present day (at least
to my particular ear) without its being ascribed to 1962 speakers. (The
phrase conjures up a flighty outpost flimsily moored to some low-gravity
planet.)

Lynne Hunter

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