[Ads-l] "bickerments"

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Fri Jun 15 14:14:04 UTC 2018


> On Jun 15, 2018, at 1:30 AM, GEOFFREY NUNBERG <nunbergg at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> From the SF Chron, June 12:
> 
> [Klay] Thompson, either via a slip of the tongue or because of his deep knowledge of obsolete English terms, also dropped an amazing word into his explanation of the team's occasional squabbles. "Guys get into small bickerments," he said. http://tinyurl.com/ybqbu3zg
> The writer had obviously never heard the word before, nor had I, but it turns out that it’s out there: http://tinyurl.com/y8zqv3dg
> 
> Geoff
> 

And a lineage going back to

1586   W. Webbe Disc. Eng. Poetrie sig. E.ii   Dreery byckerments of warres.
1682   J. Bunyan Holy War 91   Thus the bickerment went a while, at last they passed from words to blows. 

But I’m wondering whether part of the trajectory in Klay’s case involves longtime NBA coach and executive Bernie Bickerstaff, currently an advisor for the Cavs of Cleveland, the Warriors’ archrivals. 

LH
   

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