[Ads-l] to victim-blame, vt

[Laurence Horn]

Arnold observes in that blog that “slut-shame” and “victim-blame” (the latter especially connected with rape cases) "are so distressing that it might seem dismissive to use these situations merely as a way to collect linguistic examples. For the record, let me say that I’m horrified by reflexive slut-shaming and victim-blaming in rape cases.” 

Agreed, but at least we can take some comfort in the myriad citations for “hero-worship”, v. tr., even if the patients are sometimes unworthy of the honor.  And at least my “drunk-drove me…” cases don’t cast inappropriate reflexive aspersions on the agent.  

LH

> On Aug 9, 2021, at 2:21 PM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Arnold Zwicky covered these back-formations on his blog in 2013. He
> observed that "slut-shame" was mostly transitive and "victim-blame" mostly
> intransitive.
> 
> https://arnoldzwicky.org/2013/04/15/synthetic-compounds-and-back-formed-verbs-rape/
> 
> As mentioned in that post, "slut-shame" got included in the Summer 2013
> installment of "Among the New Words" (AmSp 88.2).
> 
> http://bit.ly/ATNW88-2
> 
> On Mon, Aug 9, 2021 at 1:35 PM MULLINS, WILLIAM D (Bill) CIV USARMY DEVCOM
> AVMC (USA) <0000099bab68be9a-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> 
>> I've seen "slut-shamed" used transitively.
>> 
>> Google "slut-shamed her," "slut-shamed me," "slut-shamed that slut," etc.
>> 
>> ----
>> 
>> CNN just now:
>> 
>> "Sounds like she was victim-blaming some of these women that have come
>> forward."
>> 
>> Possibly the first time I've noticed one of these constructions used
>> transitively.
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org