Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

To be sure. I don't claim this to be a widespread phenomenon yet.
I think it's the tip of an unsurfacing kraken.

Mostly, I'm sure, but not entirely. Googling on "have unsurfaced",
for instance, I would expect to (and do) find statements like "All
sites also have unsurfaced and undulating areas." But 22 of 36
hits were of forms like these:

<goobergrl.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_goobergrl_archive.html>
"the results of my interrogation of the suspects, and any clues
that I have unsurfaced in my preliminary investigation."

'Dynamite new developments have unsurfaced in what is now being
referred to as "Cup Gate"'
<alexia.us/anaheimangels/index.php?showtopic=5124 - 64k -
Supplemental Result>

"It's also common knowledge that deleted scenes have unsurfaced
recently from the superior Friday Part 6."
<www.unitshifter.com/amanda.html>

"More distressful facts have unsurfaced ..."
<constantineboards.com/showthread.php?t=338756 - 103k -
Supplemental Result ->

Another 3 of the 36 hits were ambiguous, such as "Better watch out
maybe I have unsurfaced issues!"
<discussion.socalskateparks.com/archive/index.php?t-576.html - 11k
- Supplemental Result ->

... where it isn't clear from that snippet whether the issues
remain beneath the surface or have been brought out.

It's not likely that 25 of 36 hits for a particular phrase
positively reveals a new usage, but it is more than the occasional
slip of the tongue, it seems to me. We may be seeing the emergence
of a new idiom, though I expect most people could care less about
it.

---------------
Ah, you beat me to the punch.  Guess I could mention flammable/inflammable,
but not really, since it's "flammable" that's the back-formation.
DianeE