Oh how cool English is as a language

[xiphias]

A sentence one of my fellow bartenders uttered last night while we were breaking down the bars, and packing up all the stuff to take back to the MIT Faculty club where it goes:

"I think I can MacGyver the rest of the liquor onto the Queen Mary."

A "Queen Mary", by the way, is a big wire-rack rolling cart. Imagine a set of aluminum-tube-and wire-rack shelves, and put wheels on it. That's all it is, and you stack everything on it, and then wrap it all in pallet wrap, which is just somewhat-thicker clingfilm/Saran wrap, which keeps everything from falling off.

But are there other television shows or television characters which have become verbs?

Comments

[navrins]

I've used "Darmok" that way. Which is entertainingly self-referential.

[ailbhe]

English is the new lingua franca.

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

Did you know that "to MacGyver" was used on the first episode of Stargate SG-1, prompting Richard Dean Anderson (or his character--hard to say which) to roll his eyes in exasperation?

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Spock, as in "to Spock an eyebrow".

[oneironaut.livejournal.com]

Hah!

[rosefox]

I suppose "smurf" was already a verb.

[eerielass.livejournal.com]

Hey! Speaking of bartending, can I hit you up for more moving to boston-related advice? I'm planning on bartending one or two nights a week once I get to boston in order to, you know, be able to afford food in this lovely, but expensive city. What's the best way to get a bartending job around town?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

The agency I'm working for is hiring, if you want to do functions.

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

Quad nesciunt eos non interficiet!

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Uh, why's it called a Queen Mary...?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

That, I don't know.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

Big ocean liner capable of carrying a LOT of passengers.
Big cart capable of carrying a LOT of bar stuff.
Eh?

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

Is it OK if I post this to the American Dialect Society list, with IDs blanked out? Specifically:
Xiphias's post about MacGyver
mattblum's about MacGyver on Stargate SG-1
janetmiles's about Spock

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps the cart was designed for the kitchens on the Queen Mary.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I don't need my ID blanked out, and anything I say in an unlocked post is fine to repeat, with credit.

[tylik.livejournal.com]

"Bogart" of course was an actor's name, not a television character, but it's a similar idea, yes? (As in "Hey, WTF's up with you bogarting the cloven orange! Get it circulating!")

[(Anonymous)]

oh cool. Events are ideal, actually. I'm assuming you like your company - what's the name?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Caterstaff of Boston.

Feel free to mention my name, Ian Osmond, if you contact them -- they seem to like me pretty well. :)

[eerielass.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Their website blows my mind. The music is making me dance around like a fool. I'll owe you a big one for this!

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Likewise; feel free to post with or without identifying information.