Wednesday, February 15, 2006

What's in a Word?

I keep reading and hearing that the Vice President "sprayed" birdshot at (what is the proper preposition there? on? all over? into?) Harry Whittington. Here's a representative sample, Google search for "Cheney" and "sprayed" and "shotgun."

Awfully prissy, isn't it, this spraying business. Dainty. Like a .28-gauge shotgun loaded with birdshot is really not much more formidable than that lovely adjustable-head gardener's wand I bought on special at Lowe's last spring -- twelve ever-so-gentle sprinkle patterns, from Mist to Soak to Fan to Shower. I mean, really, if you're going to be sprayed with anything besides water or champagne or your lover's parting gift (or, in optimal circumstances, all three) why, you could do no better than a little schvitzing spritzing [thank you Master Barber; nothing is more goyische than a goy misusing Yiddish, is there!] from a fine handmade Italian shooting-iron in the hands of a Dedicated Public Servant.

Here's a video of an experienced skeet- and trap-shooter as he administers a little spraying of buckshot at a paper target. Savor, especially, his dry-as-dust analysis of the perfect distribution of pellets in the target (click image to play):

5 comments:

Uncle Rameau said...

My Dad used to have and over-under .12/410 - Don't believe I've ever fired a .28 gauge.

At 30 yards, Harry is lucky to still be Harry, and not sausage.

gpchhlym - phlegm warble of the post-nasal virus locally rampant

Anonymous said...

The term I preferred, employed by the Madam of the ranch, Mrs. Armstrong, is "peppered." As in, Sure, people get peppered from time to time. I've been peppered pretty good myself. She said.

Very similar to the egg salad I had for lunch. Basically a shotgun works like throwing a handful of sand in someone's eyes, right?

Ezra

Neil Shakespeare said...

When I hear 'spraying' I think of a male dog marking a tree. My brother looked up the type of gun and it had a beautiful description of all its fine qualities, including that it "...aims like a dream...". The prez is famous, of course, for saying, "...where wings take dream...", but he didn't say anything about "...where dreams take aim...".

aebtckq - an abacus with a lisp

H. Rumbold, Master Barber said...

I'm disappointed not to see a detailed kerning, or rather leading analysis of the shot pattern from the likes of the freepi, powertools and pajamaliners with an eye to proving Hillary was the real shooter on the grassy knoll - I thought those guys were all into guns 'n stuff.

And Neddie-kun, don't you mean spritzing not schvitzing?

H. Rumbold, Master Barber

XTCfan said...

When I hear 'spraying' I think of a male dog marking a tree.

Ah, Neil, that's where our views diverge, because for me the word brings to mind a big, mean tomcat letting lose with the most horrible-smelling burst of urine to mark his territory, always in the most inconvenient spot. Sounds like Dick to me.

Very enlightening clip, Ned.