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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004Looking at "panned" critically
What is the origin of this word, in the sense of "Severe criticism, especially a negative review"? Is it a metaphor for "frying" the recipient of the pan in a hot cooking utensil? Best regards, Spehro Pefhany  Signature"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com In our last episode, <647hvvc6hffaaf1bcdbt0hmm05dfdp9726@4ax.com>, the lovely and talented Spehro Pefhany broadcast on alt.usage.english: > > What is the origin of this word, in the sense of "Severe criticism, > especially a negative review"? > Is it a metaphor for "frying" the recipient of the pan in a hot > cooking utensil? No. It is a metaphor for separating good stuff from bad stuff by washing in a pan, as in "panning for gold." SignatureLars Eighner -finger for geek code- eighner@io.com http://www.io.com/~eighner/ War on Terrorism: Treat Readers like Mushrooms "DO NOT USE photos on Page 1A showing civilian casualties from the U.S. war on Afghanistan." -Memo, _Panama City_ (FL) _News Herald_ Spehro Pefhany asks about "panning": > > What is the origin of this word, in the sense of "Severe criticism, > > especially a negative review"? > > Is it a metaphor for "frying" the recipient of the pan in a hot > > cooking utensil? > No. It is a metaphor for separating good stuff from bad stuff > by washing in a pan, as in "panning for gold." That doesn't make sense to me. Reviewing the OED1 and Supplement, it seems to me that the following sense development is possible: 1. "To pan" for gold, as above. 2. "To pan out" -- to produce a good result 3. "To pan out" -- to produce a result of any kind 4. "To pan out" -- to speak at length on a subject 5. "To pan" -- to speak critically of Step 4 here is the missing link -- I've never heard it before (the last cite in the Supplement is from 1928), but it makes sense as a transition between 3 and 5. However, 5 is identified as U.S., and 4 isn't, so this reasoning might be wrong. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto "History will be kind to me, for I intend msb@vex.net to write it." -- Churchill My text in this article is in the public domain. > In our last episode, > <647hvvc6hffaaf1bcdbt0hmm05dfdp9726@4ax.com>, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > No. It is a metaphor for separating good stuff from bad stuff > by washing in a pan, as in "panning for gold." Mark doesn't agree, but I do. And I think figurative "to pan" is a back-formation from figurative "panned". Adrian > What is the origin of this word, in the sense of "Severe criticism, > especially a negative review"? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Best regards, > Spehro Pefhany For those who have suffered such ignominious treatment, it is like being hit over the head with a *really* heavy frying pan. Whenever I see the word used in such circumstances, I can hear the *boing*. Not that I speak from experience, of course. Cheers, Sage |
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