blowzy

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/21/2013 09:29 AM, Geoffrey Steven Nathan wrote:
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>I discussed this with my wife, Margaret Winters, who actually
>(occasionally) uses the word, normally with reference to a woman
>Without telling her the context, I asked her what she meant by it.
>Her answer: 'slightly sloppy, unkempt, perhaps a little overweight'.

That's about how I would understand it (and would find it odd if
applied to a man, despite the OED's citations from earlier
centuries).  My earlier citation here of the OED's "comic, rustic"
sense was merely because I was amused by the potential application of
its only quotation for that sense to an inauguration speech -- it is
"I cannot fancy the blowsy wisdom of the country."

Joel

>Given the context this now makes perfect sense as a way for a
>presidential speech NOT to be at this time in our history.
>
>Her suggestion for 'timeless' was, as someone suggested earlier,
>something like 'bland generalities, for the ages', as opposed to
>something addressing current problems.
>
>FWIW
>
>Geoff
>
>Geoffrey S. Nathan
>Faculty Liaison, C&IT
>and Professor, Linguistics Program
>http://blogs.wayne.edu/proftech/
>+1 (313) 577-1259 (C&IT)
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>
> > From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2013 9:13:48 AM
> > Subject: blowzy
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject: blowzy
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > A bald-pated academic with rimless glasses and a measured, Ivy League
> > manner tells Candy Crowley that he hopes Obama's Inaugural speech
> > "won't be
> > blowzy, out there, and timeless."
>
> > I know it's early, but what the hell is he talking about?
>
> > JL
>
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
>
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