beast

[Jim Parish]

It may be worth mentioning that the last time I bought a computer (Jan.
2011), the salesman recommended one model as being "a real beast". It's
spread beyond vehicles, I guess.

Jim Parish

On 2/11/2014 7:17 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: beast
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Both Urban Dictionary and Online Slang Dictionary recognize "beast" in
> various senses amounting to "one who is exceptionally skillful or capable"
> going back to the '90s.
>
> The adj seems to go back about a decade.
>
> HDAS provides the well-known nominal sense "a large, powerful vehicle."
>
> Off on a tangent is the sense "girlfriend."
>
> BTW, the tone of the remark on CNN suggested that "a great leader" was an
> elaboration, not a definition, of "beast," and that "beast" was meant in a
> generally admiring way.
>
> Unlike sports announcers, she didn't say, "He's a BEAST on the field!" Just
> that he's a "beast" on the field.
>
> JL
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 3:26 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
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>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: beast
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Isn't this meant to be just an extension of "he's an absolute beast in
>> battle"? Fearless, ferocious, hungry for victory... you can throw in
>> "animal instinct" there as well. But "leader"? I guess, if you compare
>> your team to a wolfpack...
>>
>>       VS-)
>>
>> On 2/10/2014 11:39 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>> CNN describes a football player as "a beast on the field, a great
>> leader."
>>> Used to be, a "beast" was a kinda bad thing. But hey, football.
>>>
>>> JL
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>
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