obambulate
PRONUNCIATION:
(o-BAM-byuh-layt)
MEANING:
verb tr.: To walk about.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin ob- (towards, against) + ambulare (to walk). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ambhi- (around) that is also the source of ambulance, alley, preamble, and bivouac. The first print citation of the word is from 1614.
USAGE:
"We have often seen noble statesmen obambulating (as Dr. Johnson would say) the silent engraving-room, obviously rehearsing their orations." The Year's Art; J.S. Virtue & Co.; 1917.
October 20, 2008
"Obambulate."
Wordsmith presents the first in a series of "five words that appear to have been coined after this year's presidential candidates."
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12 comments:
These are headed for the same unmarked grave of history's discarded buzzwords as "nontrivial" and "grok". In Canada we have "Harpernomics" to add to the pile. So we're doing our part.
What would one call the wandering about McCain did during the second debate?
"Harpernomics", yes that was so overused during the election...and if I never see Stephan Dion on my television again I'll be happy.
Obambulate dates back to 1614. Let's get straight what category of words we're talking about.
"obambubate'
Whacking off to the photo of the chosen one.
Ann Althouse said...
Obambulate dates back to 1614. Let's get straight what category of words we're talking about.
9:33 AM
But, dear Professor Althouse, couldn't this be used to demonstrate that the coming of The One (PBUH) has been foretold since at least that period? Oh, ye of little faith. How can we not see the writing on the ancient walls?
Meh, caffeine is supposed to improve grammar...
Whacking off to the photo of the chosen one.
You beat me to it!
I was going to say it's what much of the press is doing before their mothers walk in.
Off topic, but Ann, your current banner is terribly clunky.
Law and law school, politics and the aversion to politics, high and low culture, and the way things look from Madison, Wisconsin.
Here it is as a boolean:
Law || (Law && School) || politics || (politics && vomit) || (culture != null) || (Madison && Wisconsin)
Too complicated!
Obamulate
1. To walk around with unrepentent terrorists, socialists, maoists, crooks and communists;
2. To walk around your positions, changing them constantly and denying that you held any other position than the one you are espousing today.
Quisle; to undermine a country's political system while proclaiming allegiance.
I've not heard this word before. "Perambulate", sure.
"Perotmbulate"? To walk around with charts?
Even "circumambulate": To walk around avoiding the moyel.
But "cbambulate"? To walk around slurring the Democratic Presidential nominee?
eaglewingz08--Obamulate:
1. To walk around with unrepentent terrorists, socialists, maoists, crooks and communists;
2. To walk around your positions, changing them constantly and denying that you held any other position than the one you are espousing today.
**I agree 100%...by far the best defintion of obambulate I have read! Just because Obama is intelligent and has an amazing personality doesn't make him prepared to run our country. His lefty illuminati politicians in DC think they've found some puppet to do their dirty work and the American people are falling for it.
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