I don’t know when “conferencing” became a verb, but I guess I’m doing it all the same. I’m at the “ASA Meetings”:http://www.asanet.org/convention/2004/ in San Francisco, where the keynote speakers include well-known sociologist Paul Krugman. I’m off to the Economic Sociology Section reception soon, but I am nevertheless tempted by the Section on Alcohol Drugs and Tobacco reception. Meanwhile, the “storm damage in Florida”:http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/national/15STOR.final.html?hp reminds me of the answer to “the stupidest question in the world”:https://www.crookedtimber.org/archives/000538.html.
{ 9 comments }
Dogberry 08.15.04 at 3:30 am
Actually, Paul Krugman is an economist. (Although a knowledge of sociology no doubt helps.)
peter ramus 08.15.04 at 4:13 am
Actually, Paul Krugman is a gerund, like “conferencing.”
stlouis 08.15.04 at 4:44 am
“conference” was just jealous that “meeting” has been a noun all these years.
John Quiggin 08.15.04 at 5:05 am
Isn’t confer a verb, with participle “conferring” and noun “conference”? Can we look to a new noun “conferencingment” and so on?
While I am at it, why is that people at a conference are now called “delegates” even when no-one has delegated them.
peter ramus 08.15.04 at 5:14 am
Yes. You might confer with a commenter here, unless conferencing with a commentator.
Larry B 08.15.04 at 6:04 am
The Section on Alcohol Drugs and Tobacco probably throws a better party… Good thing they swapped out the firearms for drugs.
Kieran Healy 08.15.04 at 6:33 am
Actually, Paul Krugman is an economist.
Thanks for pointing that out to me, Dogberry.
Ophelia Benson 08.15.04 at 5:29 pm
Oh dear, too late – I was going to point out (gently, as is my wont) that the Krugman as sociologist thing was a joke.
Dogberry is a very appropriate name therefore!
George 08.18.04 at 1:38 am
Re: The Stupidest Question in the World, that’s not bad. But I’m not sure it unseats the longtime champion (overheard at Shasta Dam in California in early 80s): “Can they still use the water after they take the electricity out of it?”
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