From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:03:41 -0400, Radey Shouman
<shouman@comcast.net> wrote:

Rich Ulrich <rich.ulrich@comcast.net> writes:

On Thu, 6 Aug 2026 09:56:58 +0100, Phil <phil@anonymous.invalid>
wrote:

On 06/08/2026 07:28, Hibou wrote:

Le 06/08/2026 |a 07:19, occam a |-crit :

Verbing (sic) of nouns is a common theme here in AUE. This morning I >>>>> heard a new farming term, 'combining'. It refers to the ability of
farmers to use a combine harvester for harvesting their crops. [...]

I think I heard 'to combine' when I were a lad in the country, and,
apparently, this sense of the verb is twice as old as that. The OED
traces it back to 1926 in US usage, 1957-8 in British English ('The
Times', 'The Listener').

So it's not new, then. It's expecting a telegram from the King.

Yes, I too remember it from way back.

For those not familiar with it, the stress is on the first syllable, so >>>distinct from other senses of 'combine'.

Yes, accent on the first syllable.

Derivation is direct. A "combine" is that variation of a tractor
that does the harvesting. It was always called a combine, not
a combine-harvester - but that phrase does provide the description.

Before there were combines, multiple machines were required for
harvesting: reapers, binders, and threshing machines. Combines produce >threshed grain without intermediate steps.

Thanks. Sixty years ago, I might have been able to name those
functions.

They also were expensive machines, and the typical family-farmer
did not own one but rented when the time came. There were
rental harvesters that "followed the harvest" and moved north as
the harvest season progressed. "Following the harvest" was a
potential seasonalr job, for the adventurous -- I heard it talked
about in high school, but I don't rememeber hearing tales of anyone
who did it. I did recall the idea that it was all immigrants then
(1964); I think that specialization came later.
--
Rich Ulrich
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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:24:27 +0530, Madhu <enometh@meer.net> wrote:

* Steve Hayes <5p697l5od08nkd7bqg9gi5eqimpe0e37ma@4ax.com> :
Wrote on Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:34:41 +0200:

I recall using that of Obama when he was droning wedding celebrations
somewhere or other.

pashtun "tribal warlord" families

first bomb the wedding, then bomb the funeral

Droning in either case.

(the excuse may have been that were discharging firearms as part of the >celebration)

Greeks have been known to discharge firearms at Easter cerlebrations,
usually around 2am.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On 07/08/2026 05:01, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:24:27 +0530, Madhu <enometh@meer.net> wrote:

* Steve Hayes <5p697l5od08nkd7bqg9gi5eqimpe0e37ma@4ax.com> :
Wrote on Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:34:41 +0200:

I recall using that of Obama when he was droning wedding celebrations
somewhere or other.

pashtun "tribal warlord" families

first bomb the wedding, then bomb the funeral

Droning in either case.

(the excuse may have been that were discharging firearms as part of the
celebration)

Greeks have been known to discharge firearms at Easter cerlebrations,
usually around 2am.

"Beware of Greeks bearing forearms".

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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:

On Thu, 6 Aug 2026 08:19:21 +0200, occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:

- 'droning' (using a drone for surveying an area e.g. "droning the area
for enemy troops" )

I recall using that of Obama when he was droning wedding celebrations somewhere or other.

That is a bit late. 'Droning' in that sense
is hundreds of years old.
(a direct consequence of preaching protestantism, I guess)

Jan
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From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

On 07/08/2026 07:33, occam wrote:

On 07/08/2026 05:01, Steve Hayes wrote:

On Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:24:27 +0530, Madhu <enometh@meer.net> wrote:

* Steve Hayes <5p697l5od08nkd7bqg9gi5eqimpe0e37ma@4ax.com> :
Wrote on Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:34:41 +0200:

I recall using that of Obama when he was droning wedding celebrations
somewhere or other.

pashtun "tribal warlord" families

first bomb the wedding, then bomb the funeral

Droning in either case.

(the excuse may have been that were discharging firearms as part of the
celebration)

Greeks have been known to discharge firearms at Easter cerlebrations,
usually around 2am.

"Beware of Greeks bearing forearms".

Thanks for forewarning us.
--
Phil B

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