Eating Our Words

(April 2010)

before that the word “plight” has become devalued by its association with the “Palestinians”. Their “plight” consists in not suffering the consequences of their own actions and of Islam, cushioned as they are by Western largesse. A recent piece at Pajamasmedia has the tagline: “The plight of the Uighurs is beginning to inflame Muslim populations”. That does it for me and “plight” – it is but another tool in the arsenal of combustible Muslims.

certainly doesn’t beg it – of whether you can plight anything other than a troth. If any readers have plighted other things, please let me know.

The Times recently. Plight is what Sally Baker and others call a single context word, and it is not the only one. For example, is anything ever “in kilter”, or must things always be out of it?

unbeggable question. Another thing – can shrift be anything other than short? And can you have a bit of truck with someone, or is truck something you must always have none of?

The Times by the same author.

this from the inimitable Two Ronnies?

As Bold Sir John walked on afar,
He spied a maiden fair;
“I beg you sir don’t come too near,
For I’ve seen many a maiden here;
Get lost amongst the new mown hay,
So doff your hat I pray”.
Get lost! Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!
Get lost amongst the new mown hay.
Sod off! Sod off! Sod off! Sod off!
So doff your hat I pray.

David Crystal explained how this arose: mediaeval lawyers using a mixture of English, Latin and French wished to avoid ambiguity by using pairs of words from different languages, and later the doublets became a stylistic habit. Can an explanation always be found for constructions that cluster in a particular context? In the kitchen, for example?

Dot Wordsworth in The Spectator:

     

     

     

How To Be Topp, will have no trouble recognising a gerund, an aggressive, egotistical predator with a racy private life. Here a gerund attacks some peaceful pronouns:

No wonder it is all but extinct.

The distinction is clear. Chewing gum is gum that gets chewed. Stewing steak is steak that gets stewed. These are gerundives. Chewing gum is a bad habit. Stewing steak can take a long time. These are gerunds.

Stewing steak
Braising steak
Frying steak
Frying chicken
Boiling chicken
Roasting chicken
Roasting pig
Cooking apples
Eating apples
Pickling onions
Milking cow
Drinking water
Piping jelly
Whipping cream
Chewing gum
Scratching post
Bedding plants
Reading matter
Whipping boy

If you have tracked down any more English gerundives, please click