available

[Baker, John]

I take the line to mean that she worked for somebody (Charlie, I assume) on a part-time or contract basis, when other commitments did not interfere, but she stopped working after her marriage.


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Victor Steinbok
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 11:07 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: available

A line from Charlie's Angels (the original series):

> She worked a lot when she was available, but not since she's been
> married to Mr. [].

"Available" is the usual (if a bit old-fashioned) euphemism for
"unmarried and unattached" (or, to put in more contemporary terms,
"single"), but I've never heard it put quite this way--in indirect
context (that is, when the discussion is not specifically of someone's
"availability" or "interest") ...

But, as I've said before, I've lived a sheltered life...

     VS-)

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