[Ads-l] to "science"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Great work by JL, Ben, Bill, and Pete. JL pointed out that his example
was transitive. Here is a transitive example from 1862.
The phrase "sciencing history" means exploring history while using a
systematic scientific methodology.

Date: August 1862
Periodical: The North British Review
Article: History, Philosophy and Mr. Goldwin Smith
Start Page 1, Quote Page 3, Column 2
Publisher: Leonard Scott & Company, New York. (American Edition)

https://archive.org/details/nobritishrevi36edinrich/mode/2up?q=sciencing

[Begin excerpt]
In France, likewise, the systematic treatment of history has been in
vogue for the last twenty years at least ; and the Parisians have had
a number of specimens of history done in the scientific way, which we
hope they enjoyed. In England, again, the idea of sciencing history
has never been received with favour …
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 10:16 AM Jonathan Lighter
<00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> Yeah, but the new ex. is fully transitive with a correspondingly different def.
>
> "Science" marches on.
>
> JL
>
> On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 10:08 AM Ben Zimmer
> <00001aae0710f4b7-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > I wrote about the line from "The Martian" on the Strong Language blog in
> > 2015:
> >
> > https://stronglang.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/im-going-to-have-to-science-the-shit-out-of-this/
> >
> > From the post: "The webcomic Questionable Content has been averring since
> > 2009 that 'science is a verb now' -- you can even get it on a T-shirt."
> >
> > The T-shirt is still on sale here:
> > https://topatoco.com/products/qc-scienceverb
> >
> > The accompanying blurb says: "Pay no attention to the cat sciencing through
> > space. She was sciencing where she wasn't supposed to science and it is our
> > hope that in the end her sciencing will help further the cause of science."
> >
> > Commentary on that from 2009:
> > https://www.hrsfans.org/2009/10/18/new-qc-shirt/
> >
> > --bgz
> >
> > On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 9:44 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > 00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > A quick search in Andy Weir's 2011 novel "The Martian" (using the
> > > Internet Archive) produces no matches for "have to science the shit
> > > out of this". Hence, Drew Goddard may have introduced this line in his
> > > screenplay.
> > >
> > > Here are some examples from x-twitter of science used as a verb,
> > > beginning in 2007. The second tweet below points to a cartoon that may
> > > have helped popularize the verb form. (I have not checked this in the
> > > cartoon.) Verbing is a perennial topic.
> > >
> > > [Begin xtwitter info]
> > > https://x.com/makingagame/status/467523382
> > > Christine Brownell @makingagame
> > > I'm sciencing as fast as I can!
> > > 2:12 AM, Dec 4, 2007
> > > [End xtwitter info]
> > >
> > > [Begin xtwitter info]
> > > https://x.com/amberayoder/status/40803474765520899
> > > Amber Yoder @amberayoder
> > > I'm sciencing as fast as I can! - Professor Farnsworth, Futurama
> > > 11:01 AM, Feb 24, 2011
> > > [End xtwitter info]
> > >
> > > [Begin xtwitter info]
> > > https://x.com/nazmraz/status/109651142585237504
> > > return of the naz @nazmraz
> > > It's a valid concern. Why are scientists always looking into
> > > microscopes and playing with rats and never actually sciencing?
> > > @writingcrap
> > > 11:37 AM. Sep 2, 2011
> > > [End xtwitter info]
> > >
> > > [Begin xtwitter info]
> > > https://x.com/asampson/status/187659300213239808
> > > asampson @asampson
> > > I HAVE TO... SCIENCE!
> > > 5:53 PM, Apr 4, 2012
> > > [End xtwitter info]
> > >
> > > [Begin xtwitter info]
> > > https://x.com/doctorhotpants/status/331949036380753922
> > > Dr Lauren Lewis @doctorhotpants
> > > @Drsilb If I told you, I'd have to science you to death...You remember
> > >  Dr. Taft, don't you?
> > > 9:49 PM · May 7, 2013
> > > [End xtwitter info]
> > >
> > > [Begin xtwitter info]
> > > https://x.com/Emiliee_lili/status/467645676873347072
> > > Emilie @Emiliee_lili
> > > After this physics exam I never ever ever have to science again!
> > > 8:39 AM · May 17, 2014
> > > [End xtwitter info]
> > >
> > > Garson
> > >
> > > On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 8:35 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > The _locus classicus_ for this is the 2015 movie _The Martian_, where
> > > Matt Damon declares "I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this."
> > > >
> > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7CJrnaauHM
> > > >
> > > > Jesse Sheidlower
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 07:47:55AM -0400, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > > > > "to iapply scientific findings."
> > > > >
> > > > > TV Commercial: "So we scienced it !"
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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