[Ads-l] Verb: papped - photographed by a member of the paparazzi

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Thu Sep 22 23:14:26 UTC 2022


The verb “to pap” is new to me, but it is already in the OED.

[Begin OED excerpt]
pap, v.3
slang (originally and chiefly British).
transitive. Of a paparazzo: to photograph. Frequently in passive. Also
in extended use.
1993   Sunday Tel. 14 Nov. 13   The Swedish crown princess, who is 16
and has 'never been papped', comes cheap.
[End excerpt]

Here is a citation from two years earlier.

Date: June 15, 1991
Newspaper: Daily Mirror
Newspaper Location: London, England
Article: Every dog has his day
Quote Page 15, Column 5
Database: British Newspaper Archive

[Begin excerpt]
The Queen, it has been said, doesn't like being "papped" on her own estate.
If you remember, certain over-zealous royal flunkeys were sounding off
about pictures of HM taking her corgis for a walk in the snow at
Windsor Castle ...
[End excerpt]

I encountered the word in an article about Greta Gerwig's upcoming
movie "Barbie". The leads Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were filming
exterior shots in Los Angeles when pictures leaked of the duo wearing
vibrant roller skating outfits.

Date: September 20, 2022
Website: PopSugar
Article: Margot Robbie Says She Was “Mortified” by Leaked “Barbie” Photos
Author: Chandler Plante
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/entertainment/margot-robbie-barbie-leaked-photos-48955475

[Begin excerpt]
While social media seemed mostly overjoyed by the over-the-top
fashion, Robbie said it's the fact that so many people saw her Barbie
character out of context that really took her by surprise. When Fallon
asked her if she ever expected such a viral response, she replied
honestly. "I mean, I knew that we had some exteriors to shoot in L.A.
I knew once you were doing exteriors, you're gonna get papped."
[End excerpt]

Garson

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


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