[Ads-l] hashtag, interj.

Ben Zimmer bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM
Tue Aug 25 14:03:57 UTC 2015


On Tue, Aug 25, 2015 at 7:23 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> Used for comic emphasis:
>
> CNN:
>
> "So that's not a very good strategy, you're saying?"
>
> "Hashtag no."
>
> I heard a similar example earlier this year but was too lazy to mention it.

For further examples along these lines, see "Among the New Words"
(AmSp Spring 2013), covering the 2012 WOTY proceedings, won by
"hashtag": http://bit.ly/ATNW88-1

Under "hashtag" we have sense 2b, "Verbal substitution for the hash
symbol (#), as used in a real or hypothetical hashtag when spoken
aloud" (p. 97). Earliest example given:

2009 Nov 21 Mariana Wagner myKWblog
http://mykwblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/social-media-dialects-i-speak-twitter-you/
I recalled the fact that, when hanging out with other Twitter users
IRL [in real life], I will actually SAY “Hashtag [insert witty phrase
here]” to emphasize/categorize something I just said.

--bgz

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



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