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Off topic: 'malfunctioning wardrobes' - will dictionary compilers see fit to introduce this into the lexicon?
Thread poster: James Calder
James Calder
James Calder  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
Feb 4, 2004

I doubt there are many people who didn't see Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake getting up to their high jinks at the Super Bowl the other day. What amazed me more than the actual cheap, tawdry stunt, however, was the fact that Timberlake described the incident as a 'wardrobe malfunction'. An MTV spokesperson later compounded his felony by referring to it as 'a malfunction of the wardrobe' (an interesting variation). Will dictionary compilers see fit to introduce this natty turn of phrase into ... See more
I doubt there are many people who didn't see Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake getting up to their high jinks at the Super Bowl the other day. What amazed me more than the actual cheap, tawdry stunt, however, was the fact that Timberlake described the incident as a 'wardrobe malfunction'. An MTV spokesperson later compounded his felony by referring to it as 'a malfunction of the wardrobe' (an interesting variation). Will dictionary compilers see fit to introduce this natty turn of phrase into the lexicon of the English language? I hope so, because the next time a button falls off my shirt, a hole appears in my sock or someone pulls more than just my black leather bustier off I want to put it down to a 'wardrobe malfunction' ... or even a 'malfunction of the wardrobe'. ▲ Collapse
 
Hilary Davies Shelby
Hilary Davies Shelby
United States
Local time: 15:15
German to English
+ ...
Wardrobegate Feb 4, 2004

Maybe he meant a "malfunction of the Wardrobe department"? Which isn't grammatically great English either, but you get my drift!

You're right - it might now become a common euphemism - perhaps for celebrity gaffes in general? Now any time someone in the public eye messes up, people will roll their eyes and go "yep, sorry about that...must have been a Wardrobe malfunction". Maybe we should tell Ant & Dec about it in case Johnny Rotten cusses live on TV again tonight... See more
Maybe he meant a "malfunction of the Wardrobe department"? Which isn't grammatically great English either, but you get my drift!

You're right - it might now become a common euphemism - perhaps for celebrity gaffes in general? Now any time someone in the public eye messes up, people will roll their eyes and go "yep, sorry about that...must have been a Wardrobe malfunction". Maybe we should tell Ant & Dec about it in case Johnny Rotten cusses live on TV again tonight ▲ Collapse
 
James Calder
James Calder  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Never mind the .... Feb 4, 2004

I'm sure Johnny Rotten must have had a 'wardrobe malfunction' or two in his time, what with all those zips and flaps.
 
Sherey Gould
Sherey Gould  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:15
German to English
weapons of mass.... Feb 5, 2004

What truly amazed me (along the same lines) was watching BBC while in Germany last month and seeing/hearing Tony Blair stumble LIVE over his sentence, saying "... weapons of mass distraction-" -- he quickly corrected himself but I never saw anyone else pick up on it. I thought it was a classic (but never crossed my mind to "report" it here)... I still laugh about it now, and can't imagine why no one else (no other station) furthered it!!
 
Marcela Robaina Boyd
Marcela Robaina Boyd  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 17:15
English to Spanish
+ ...
boob disfunction Feb 5, 2004

I think "wardrobe malfunction" is SO funny that it's here to stay.
Wish WMD and other euphemisms were always as funny as the one that have cropped up recently.
Here's another one:
TV= boob tube
 
James Calder
James Calder  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
WMD Feb 6, 2004

Sherey Gould wrote:

What truly amazed me (along the same lines) was watching BBC while in Germany last month and seeing/hearing Tony Blair stumble LIVE over his sentence, saying "... weapons of mass distraction-" -- he quickly corrected himself but I never saw anyone else pick up on it. I thought it was a classic (but never crossed my mind to "report" it here)... I still laugh about it now, and can't imagine why no one else (no other station) furthered it!!


Come to think of it wasn't the Hutton Inquiry a weapon of mass distraction?
 


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'malfunctioning wardrobes' - will dictionary compilers see fit to introduce this into the lexicon?






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