Sunday, December 11, 2005
Merrily we Roil along
Latest buzz word: Roil.
Noticed how it's cropping up?
NYT in its coverage of the thin-wedge shootings in Fuzhou: "Widespread social protests roiling in the Chinese countryside ..."
And I've seen it elsewhere.
My theory, it started life in some typonese coverage for boiling aggro in a Frenchie banlieueRival editor demanded, "Hey Frankie, how come nuthin' 'roiled' in *your* piece on those punks in that Boise shoot-out?
Hey, people! I want a lot more roiling around here."
And so the snowball began.
Editor of The Times: "I notice the Yanks are using this word 'roil'. Come on, chaps, we're guardian of the language around here. Try to slip it in, there's good fellows."
"Attention, everyone - the Chief wants to see more 'roiling'.
Tess, that piece on the punch-up in the nursing home - must have been *one* of those old biddies rocked 'n' roiled? Attagirl."
