Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Meyer
Isn't that grand! Angelo dukes it! A striking example of a noun used as a verb.
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Richard,
I take your point, but would like to add another. Note that the scene is in prose. In other words, this is 'low' speech, employed for comic relief (note also the setting, and the characters' names).
The audience was invited to mock the usage, and the usage marks the speaker as a member of the, um, well, a particular class.
Note also John's objection. By objecting, he marks himself as a member of the educated class. Verbing nouns is decidedly Non-U...
It's hard to think of any linguistic practice that is devoid of cultural markers. We mark ourselves as soon as we open our mouths...
Thanks,
Bill