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Re: Billy's grammar confusion re: "pimping"

In a message dated 97-04-30 21:24:50 EDT, West writes:

>Billy, I think your hasty stroll through Webster's Ninth was in error.
>The word you define -- "pimping" -- is an adjective.  As in, "His swings
>of the ax were pimping, insufficient to cut the firewood."
>
>The VERB pimp -- as in "I now will pimp case-side", or "she's pimping our
>underview" -- is defined as "to work for a prostitute."
>
>Turn to page 13 (Explanatory Notes) of the text you cite (1985 ed.) in
>order to understand the difference between "vi" and "adj". 
>
>
Gee, Mr. West, with your extensive knowledge of grammar and virtually
unlimited knowledge of debate history, I'm sure you are aware that many
adjectives are turned into verbs as debaters commit the sin of
jargon-creation. If someone says "dropping" in debate, they're not referring
to the actual act of gravity-induced descent, just as they are not referring
to "dropping" a hit of acid or making reference to mouse leavings. There is a
context that helps us interpret proper meaning.

Since you obviously have the same dictionary, I'm sure that you also saw that
there were separate etymologies for the verb, "to pimp," and the adjective,
"pimping." Perhaps you think of prostitution (and all those poor girls in
Nepal) every time you hear the term "case pimp," but I'm sure most of us are
thinking of weak non-evidenced presses. Until you can do a better job of
explaining why use of this term reifies Nepalese prostitution, I urge you to
pick your moral causes with greater care. Remember, even if the same-sounding
verb does relate to prostitution, it was, and is, a derogatory term. So, are
we to prohibit any word that sounds like something that disturbs your own
personal moral climate? I don't really believe you are advocating this, so
please be specific in letting us know what you exact purpose is. 

For the rest of you, I know you will support your friend. But be honest, this
term is used in debate as a synonym for weak presses, not prostitution. Maybe
the ad homs were unjustified, maybe not. I still think that we'd all be
better off acting on our causes instead of endlessly re-living the thrill of
meaningless disputation. This is little more than political correctness. I
hope you all feel better.

Billy
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