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It is half-time in the Apple Cup -- the annual football game between the Fighting Cougars of Washington State University and the lowly Dawgs of the University of Washington. The Cougars lead 13-7.
Commenting on one broken-up play, the sportscaster said that the linebacker did as good a job "defensing" the play as one is likely ever to see. Really.
I understand the relationship between defend and defender and defense but I musta missed the connection which impels one toward "defensing."
TEd will likely suggest that defensing is de barrier which keeps de people out of de yard.
Last edited by Father Steve; 11/20/05 02:05 PM.
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I don't think the sportscaster (would you like sugar with that?) had been properly arrived before the game.
formerly known as etaoin...
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enthusiast
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Say, do you ever wonder how much solecism would it take to make Father Steve's head explode? 
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Suggest is not strong enogh in that context, Fr. Steve.
TEd
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Mommeeee!!! Mommeeee!! They're using words in a way that I wouldn't!!! Make them stop!!! Mommeeee!!! 
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Defence. Defense. v. obs. To provide with a defence or defences; to defend, protect, or guard.
1559. Peter Morwyng. Evonymus. 307. A bely of glass diligently defenced with clay.
Too bad it fell out of use.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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It seems to me that this usage is noticeably different in meaning from "defend"* and saying it another way would only be too awkwardly worded to be useful in the context of live sportscasting.
Whether you feel the phrase used for "defensing the play" should be "defending the play", which I would take to mean arguing for its use, or just "defending" which is too general.
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Is the accent on the first syllable, as it is in the noun in a sports context?
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Is the accent on the first syllable, as it is in the noun in a sports context?
No pronuciation is given for the word.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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I'm not big into sports, but it seems that the usage of defensing as a sports term is rather well established. (Just googling 'round a bit.) There're even a couple of books published with the word under consideration in the title. My favorite is Defensing the Run and Shoot by Bob Kenig.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Taunt all you like for the Fighting Cougars of Washington State University vanquished the scruffy Dawgs of the University of Washington, 26-22. All is well with the world and we may now proceed to observe the Christ the King Sunday.
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Quote:
Is the accent on the first syllable, as it is in the noun in a sports context?
No pronuciation is given for the word.
Maybe Fr Steve remembers the pronunciation from the broadcast. I see no problem with verbifying this noun; it seems a pretty handy distinction, just as offensing would mean something completely different from offending.
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I would guess a slight accent on the fens part.
formerly known as etaoin...
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So why isn't it defencing on the other side of the pond? I found a bunch of sites with UK extensions in the URL which had defensing. Also I found several sites with the c which had things like "defencing and attacking". Seems to me that all defencing or defensing do as opposed to defending is to go one more step towards shitty English.
But I guess sports English is to English like gullah is to English. Have at it, folks, and when you get to the point where no one understands what the other person means then perhaps some few of you will go back to some plain common-sense rules.
Still don't see any reason to verb a noun when the ver already exists. grumble, mumble, fade to silence.
TEd
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Quote:
Still don't see any reason to verb a noun when the ver already exists. grumble, mumble, fade to silence.
What's the verb that "defense" is replacing?
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stranger
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Quote:
I see no problem with verbifying this noun...
According to Calvin and Hobbes, the verb form of verb is "verb", as in "I like to verb words." (Said by Calvin.) Therefore, the correct useage would be "I see no problem with verbing this noun..." Let us not compound the solecism! 
Back to the original question, I would say that the correct expression would simply have been "...defending against..." The defensive player is not in support of the play (defending it), he is against the play (defending against it). Besides, I think it sounds more correct.
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The OED1 has verbify from 1813, and nary hair nor hide of its synonym verb qua verb. I see usage of neither as a solecism, but more a matter of choice.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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perhaps the sportscaster is telling us that the defender is doing more than just his part; he is working within the larger defensive strategy. a sort of meta-defense.
formerly known as etaoin...
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stranger
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Quote:
perhaps the sportscaster is telling us that the defender is doing more than just his part; he is working within the larger defensive strategy. a sort of meta-defense.
Hmm, perhaps, but I've never thought of sportscasters as meta sort of people...
As to "verbify," I am astounded! I have never heard it before today. And in 1813? This verbification business goes back farther than I thought! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; languages never stop changing, and the sportscasters among us never tire of creating new words, forms, and uses when they can't remember or don't know the existing terms and expressions. Does the OED also have "verb" as a verb? That would surprise me even more.
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Quote:
Does the OED also have "verb" as a verb? That would surprise me even more.
nope.
TEd
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Quote:
Quote:
Does the OED also have "verb" as a verb? That would surprise me even more.
nope.
get with the times, guys!
verb, v.
trans. To use (a word, esp. a noun) as a verb; = VERBIFY v.
1936 F. CLUNE Roaming round Darling vii. 62 The Poet accused me of verbing a noun, but I soon fixed him. I threatened to noun a verb. 1978 Verbatim Sept. 7/1 Take..the four names of the four seasons. Two have been verbed, and two have not. One summers, in Maine, and winters, perhaps, in Florida. 1984 Philos. of Sci. LI. 465 Practically any noun can be verbed in English.
OED, ADDITIONS SERIES 1993
note the predating of Calvin & Hobbes.
-joe 
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get with the times, guys!
I did type OED1. I await your checque to buy an OED CD-ROM.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Quote:
get with the times, guys!
I did type OED1. I await your checque to buy an OED CD-ROM.
that also is passé. I use nothing but OED online now, although I could "cheaply" (relatively speaking) update my olde CD-ROM.
really, all of you who have ever used the OED Big Books and lusted after them should investigate getting online access through whatever library(s) you frequent -- this may only set you back the cost of your library card!
p.s. to jheem, I know you typed OED1; but that's not what I quoted. I apologize for including you by proxy though.
Last edited by tsuwm; 11/21/05 08:31 PM.
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Since this seems the place to out-throw this suggestion...
Is it not also true that: Practically any verb can be nouned in English coupled with verbification, completes the wicked cyclification of the aforementioned nit-pick'ns?
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> verb can be nouned ah, the Great Went....
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