Uma Thurman Swaggerjacks Dr. Seuss

Ben Zimmer bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU
Mon Mar 4 01:41:12 UTC 2013


I posted about "swagger jacking" (as an open compound) in Oct. '08:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0810C&L=ADS-L&P=R2124


On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 7:52 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
> Checking ADS-L archives, I can't find this particular version of
> X-jack/X-nap. I'm not certain if this has a different semantic structure
> from the standard, run-of-the-mill car-jacking, dog-napping, etc., in
> that "swagger" is not exactly what is being jacked (or perhaps it is).
>
> http://jezebel.com/5988093/uma-thurman-swaggerjacks-dr-seuss
>
> The Jezebel post consists of a photo of Uma Thurman in a Cat-In-The-Hat
> hat, with caption
>
>> Actress Uma Thurman Joins Cat In The Hat On NEA's Read Across America
>> Day at New York Public Library on March 1, 2013 in New York City.
>> (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for National Education Association)
>
> This is quite different from TJ Prodigy's "Can't Swagger Jack Me! TJ
> Prodigy" T-shirts:
>
> http://goo.gl/hjqwD
>> In June of 2011, TJ Prodigy decided to upload an anti bullying video
>> to Youtube. This reached many people, including many celebrities. A
>> lot of comments have been left on the video, including many peoples'
>> personal experiences with bullying and how the video had helped them.
>> As an inspirational speaker TJ travels to schools bringing his
>> anti-bullying message through his Challenge For Change Campaign. Your
>> purchases in this store support TJ Prodigy AND his efforts.
>> ...
>> This is an official TJ Prodigy design encouraging everyone to accept
>> who they are and that no one else can copy who they are.
>
> There is a Vancouver band Swaggerjack that had released its first
> recording in January 2012 (and is releasing another one next week).
> http://www.swaggerjack.ca/
> https://www.facebook.com/SwaggerJackMusic
>
> UD has entrys both with and without a space:
>
>> swaggarjack
>> The jacking of someone's swagger.
>>
>> Bill saw how cool Jimmy's jacket was so he went out and bought the
>> very same one, and in fact has worn it to outings that he knew Jimmy
>> would attend. It was a swaggajack, plain and simple.
>
>> swaggerjacks
>> not a cereal, but it should be
>>
>> that goddamn Trix rabbit better not try to swaggerjack my swaggerjacks
>
>> swagger jack
>> To steal; to copy; to use as one's own; to imitate
>>
>> Stop swagger jackin' my nifty ideas!
>
> Two alternatives are squibs:
>
>> a person who has swag and a lumberjack beard.
>>
>> jeff is a swagger jack.
>
>> The act of masturbation.
>>
>> I swagger jacked 3 times today!
>
> And there's a cross-reference:
>
>> Swankjack
>> A poser, or the thief of someone else's style. Not so different from
>> swaggerjack, or TOOL.
>>
>> If you start using this word after reading my definition, you are most
>> definitely a swankjack.
>
> Note that there are actually three separate entities: the act, the actor
> and the verb.
>
> Hopefully all this is superfluous after Ben or someone else here has
> already covered it...


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

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