[Ads-l] New (to me) negative polarity item--"(not) have the bandwidth" as metaphor (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill CIV (US)]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

I wouldn't say that the Jargon File cite antedates what Laurence posted about. "Bandwidth", meaning information-carrying capacity, is very close to the standard engineering/signal processing/technical definition of the word.

Laurence's cite uses bandwidth to refer to resources beyond information.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Dave Wilton
> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 1:15 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: New (to me) negative polarity item--"(not) have the bandwidth" as metaphor
> 
> It's at least 20 years old.
> 
> From The Jargon File (4.4.7), 29 Dec 2003 (That's the version that's online now; I don't know when this entry was written):
> 
> "bandwidth: n.
> 
> "1. [common] Used by hackers (in a generalization of its technical meaning) as the volume of information per unit time that a computer,
> person, or transmission medium can handle. 'Those are amazing graphics, but I missed some of the detail - not enough bandwidth, I guess.'
> Compare low-bandwidth; see also brainwidth. This generalized usage began to go mainstream after the Internet population explosion of
> 1993-1994.
> 
> "2. Attention span.
> 
> "3. On Usenet, a measure of network capacity that is often wasted by people complaining about how items posted by others are a waste of
> bandwidth."
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Laurence Horn
> Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 1:12 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: [ADS-L] New (to me) negative polarity item--"(not) have the bandwidth" as metaphor
> 
> Here's urban dictionary:
> 
> BANDWIDTH
> ability (or lack of ability) to complete work given the available resources (people, time, money, etc.)
> 
> Since we can't afford to replace the guy who just quit, our department doesn't have enough bandwidth to take on new projects right now.
> 
> Joe's so overworked, he doesn't even have the bandwidth to train his new assistant.
> 
> #work #time #ability #capacity #workload by amphora October 25, 2006
> 
> ==============
> My daughter (age 31) just used it in referring to a friend who, given her 12-hour shifts at her new nursing job, "doesn't have the bandwidth"
> for various other things.  Not being 31 (and not having a boyfriend at Google), I'd never encountered metaphorical bandwidth before.  I
> haven't checked "Among The New Words", which probably has a relevant decade-old entry.
> 
> LH
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

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