[Ads-l] awarded

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here is an example in 1945 where the phrase "Most Awarded Officer"
referred to the "most decorated divisional commander". Admittedly, the
locution appeared in a headline, and the limited slot size for
headlines sometimes dictates compressed phrasing. But there are other
examples in the 1940s and 1950s.

[ref] 1945 October 29, Reno Gazette-Journal, General Doe Most Awarded
Officer (Associated Press), Quote Page 8, Column 6, Reno, Nevada
(Newspapers.com)[/ref]

https://www.newspapers.com/image/147130483/?terms=%22most%2Bawarded%22

[Begin excerpt]
General Doe Most Awarded Officer

WITH THE 41ST DIVISION, Japan, Oct. 29. (AP)—Maj. Gen. Jens Doe,
commander of the 41st division, today became the most decorated
divisional commander in the Pacific, with receipt of the distinguished
service cross for planning last spring's southern Philippines—Sulu
Sea—campaign.
[End excerpt]

Garson


On Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 9:52 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
>> On Sep 30, 2016, at 6:02 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>
>> Chevrolet has been running commercials that tout it as "the most awarded
>> car company."
>>
>> I.e., given the most awards.
>>
>> Comprehensible, but sounds fairly weird to me.
>>
>> JL
>
> I've heard this, and been bothered by it, for years--not just Chevrolet, but many other "most awarded" companies boasting the same thing in their commercials.   Can't remember when it started, or by whom.
>
> LH
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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