more short takes--without HTML Garbage

[Ben Zimmer]

On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 10:05 AM, Geoffrey Steven Nathan wrote:
>
> Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
> > 4) Apparently, -gate suffix is just as pervasive in the UK apparently as
> > it is in the US. A number of English paper have been nibbling at the
> > "Pastygate"--none more than The Sun. The problem is that the latest
> > budget slapped a 20% tax on "hot pasties". It gets worse--we get a bit
> > French Revolution added to Nixonian malfeasance. And The Sun is pushing
> > its own pseudo-pun in its petition campaign against the tax. Bonus:
> > verbing of "U-turn" [emphasis in original]
>
> And just a reminder before too many Americans start smirking, that the
> article of food called a [pæsti] is most definitely not to be confused with
> the article of 'clothing' called a [peisti].

For more on this confusion, see:

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=337

--bgz

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

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