clown question

[Alice Faber]

I think the issue is the bracketing in "[class clown] question", that
is, that "clown question" isn't a constituent in the phrase. Of course,
the meaning of the word "clown" is still evident in both phrases.

On 6/18/12 12:58 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> Aren't they both -- the "class clown" and Harper's "clown question"
> (which I take as "question from a clown") related to the "ignorance"
> part of:
>
> OED2 "clown, n.", sense 2. "transf. A man without refinement or
> culture; an ignorant, rude, uncouth, ill-bred man."?
>
> Evolving from sense 1.b, "Implying ignorance, crassness, or rude
> manners: A mere rustic, a peasant."
>
> Both date from the 16th century, with the "peasant" association
> having dropped out because once they began claiming that they were
> better than the French the English decided to deny they had any peasants.
>
> Joel
>
>
> At 6/18/2012 11:08 AM, Bonnie Taylor-Blake wrote:
>> On Mon, Jun 18, 2012 at 6:50 AM, David Barnhart
>> <dbarnhart at highlands.com> wrote:
>>
>> > "You always get that class clown question. 'No, I was the class
>> accountant,
>> > but the class comedian got sick. I stepped in, and decided I'm not
>> giving
>> > this up.' It's the same 10 questions. Ahhhh, shut up!" [Mike]
>> MacDonald said
>> > before heading in to tape the new program.
>> >
>> > Larry McShane, "What's New In Comedy," Associated Press (Nexis),
>> March 23,
>> > 1992, Monday, PM cycle
>>
>> OK, but I think the distinction between this occurrence and Bryce
>> Harper's usage is that MacDonald was talking about a question related
>> to being a class clown while Harper essentially called out the
>> reporter for asking a silly/ridiculous question, one not worth his
>> time addressing.
>>
>> (I'm going to try out "that's a clown question" this week, though not
>> with any of my superiors.)
>>
>> -- Bonnie
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


--
 =======================================================================
Alice Faber                                       faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                            tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
New Haven, CT 06511 USA                               fax (203) 865-8963

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