public

[Charles C Doyle]

In the tiny Texas town where I grew up, there were a Catholic school and a public school.  The children were often designated as either "Catholics" or "publics."

--Charlie

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From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Jonathan Lighter [wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 1:03 PM

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"I am a public."

Sheesh.

JL

On Wed, May 9, 2012 at 12:55 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      public
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Another scandal in South Carolina, but, more importantly, a cluster of
> "public" appearances.
>
> http://goo.gl/yKx6O
> > "How can you come up here and act like you're acting in public?"
> > Knotts asked Congressman Joe Wilson's wife, Roxanne Wilson, who was
> > visibly angry and shouting at Knotts over his decision to kill the bill.
> > "I am a public," Wilson said.
> > "You are a congressman's wife," Knotts said to Wilson before walking
> > off to his office.
> > "I don't care," Wilson replied. "You know it's wrong, you are
> > self-serving,"
>
> The first line seems unusual. The Wilson rebuttal--less so, but still
> strained.
>
> Video on the page, in case you want to check the station's transcript.
> Wilson actually repeats her line twice.
>
>     VS-)

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