Word: stammering
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1920-1929
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Harvard men have a curious theory that loud and continual repetition of the name of their institution will excite their athletes to such a degree that nothing can withstand them. The Harvard cheer, therefore, consists of braying repetition of the word "Harvard," mixed with a stammer of rah-rahs. Wretched interference and a missed try for goal discredited cheer and theory in favor of a stout team from Holy Cross. Score: Holy Cross 7; Harvard...
...King descended from his car and in a moment stood in the inn doorway. The company within sat transfixed, then stumbled to their feet. The grinning bride began to blush, the bridegroom, a lusty bricklayer, began to stammer...
...Roosevelt was shy almost beyond belief while in college," Mr. Gilman continued. "Often groups of students of which he was one would get him to talk before them, for it was very amusing Indeed to hear him stammer and struggle through a short address, for he had no natural gift for speaking. He continued appearing before audiences, however, until he became certainly a persuasive speaker if not a great orator. He was easily confused and on one occasion appearing before President Eliot, said, 'Mr. Eliot, I'm President Roosevelt' and quickly corrected himself, "President Eliot, I'm Mr. Roosevelt...
...bananas." The root of the matter here seems to lie in a common grammatical perplexity, a perplexity over which many a person stumbles in common speech. How can you answer in one word, yes or no, to the question: " You have no bananas?" Often you will hear someone stammer "yes-no." The answer might reasonably be: " No, we have no bananas," with a direct logical opposite: " Yes, we have no bananas." But the contradiction in the phrase is ludicrous. A foreigner using it at all times and without distinction, it becomes grotesquely funny, the much more so because it catches...