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Re: Re[2]: While we're on the topic of words . . .
Subject:Re: Re[2]: While we're on the topic of words . . . From:Nancy Hoft <itech -at- MV -dot- MV -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 4 Feb 1994 20:40:44 -0500
It's frightening to think that I've been in this profession long enough
to know the origin of the phrase, "Any noun can be verbed." It's an
IBM'ism! Gads, it's been around for over 10 years! In fact, it was
introduced in the late 1970's. A whole book was puckishly devoted to the
topic. The book was an internal dictionary.
The entry for "noun" said "See Verb." The entry for "verb" said "All
words can be verbed."
-- Nancy Hoft, itech -at- mv -dot- mv -dot- com
On Fri, 4 Feb 1994, Ann Amsler wrote:
> So, Fred, were you at the Plymouth State conference in New Hampshire too
> (Kelly and I were, it turns out) or did you hear Dick Chisholm say "Any
> noun can be verbed" somewhere else, or is this yet another saying with a
> life of its own?
