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Verbing nouns? Is nouning verbs next? People care much more about verbs than nouns. They care about things that move, that are happening, that change. They care about experiences and events and the way things make us feel. Nouns just sit there, inanimate lumps. Verbs are about wants and desires and wishes.
Methinks we've been verbing nouns for quite some time.
One can....
have a talk,
hang out the wash,
go for a run.
The whole discussion reminds me of a conversation between my mother and my nephew. She was standing at the stove when he asked, "Wha'cha cookin' Granny?" "Squash," she replied. "No...What IS it." he demanded and she repeated "Squash, honey." "Well, then," he said, "what WAS it?
mjd
Richmond, VA
Doesn't seem all that new to me. I've been seeing/hearing/saying "thanks for the invite" forever, and eats-as-noun for even longer. OTOH I have more recently begun to develop a tendency to use the first person singular in place of the usual substantive, a la the invite. Can't think of any examples off hand coz it's late at night and I'm tired.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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