[Ads-l] "beat-up", noun, evidently meaning hoax or conspiracy

[James Eric Lawson]

As documented in a 1988 UPI article, "beat-up" is more akin to
'overblown' than an outright hoax: "beat-up (something blown out of
proportion)".

28 Feb 1988, "Australia's baffling language: A primer on 'Aussie speak'":

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/02/28/Australias-baffling-language-A-primer-on-Aussie-speak/8697573022800/

On 8/7/21 9:17 AM, George Thompson wrote:
> This is from a story by Katharine Murphy originating in Australia, in
> the Guardian
> website, dated Friday, August 6.
> Checking the internet for this sense seems hopeless, since it is hidden
> among the multitude of occurrences of the more common senses -- if it's
> there at all.
> 
> Interesting to see that our antipodean cousins are regaled with the same
> malarky as we are.
> 
> GAT
> 
> Politicians report they are copping it from both sides – from constituents
> who support the public health response, but fear the government has
> buggered up the vaccination rollout.  MPs are also copping it from
> constituents who think the pandemic is a beat-up or a conspiracy of some
> kind, and from their traditional supporters who think centre-right
> governments should not be shuttering businesses and spending like there is
> no tomorrow.
> 

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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