Q I sometimes hear the word “conversate,” but I can’t find it in any dictionaries. Is this a real word? – R. R., Columbus, Ohio

A: “Conversate” is relatively new on the English language scene. Our earliest evidence of the word is from 1987. Its usage seems to be on the rise, although it is still largely restricted to the speech of young people (as in the world of hip-hop).

“Conversate” is of course a back-formation from the noun “conversation.” Back-formations often succeed in becoming established in the language. Perfectly respectable verbs like “diagnose,” “televise” and “donate” originated as back-formations (of “diagnosis,” “television,” and “donation” respectively). It’s possible that “conversate” will one day become established itself, but it faces a significant potential barrier to ever winning general acceptance as a standard English word: It’s trying to fill a space in the language that’s already occupied. The word “converse” has been used to refer to what people do when they have a conversation since the late 16th century.

Q I’ve heard and read the word “clock” used to mean to punch someone in the face. It sounds old-fashioned to me. Can you tell me anything about its origins? – R. B., Fort Washington, Pa.

A: The use of “clock” to mean “to hit hard” or “to punch in the face” is quite a recent development. The earliest citation comes from a 1941 Australian source in which it is considered slang.

Exactly how this sense originated isn’t known. One theory suggests that it stems from the noun sense of “clock” meaning “human face.” The earliest printed evidence for “clock” meaning “face” dates to the 1920s.

Another interesting use of “clock” occurs in the phrase “to clean one’s clock.” This phrase emerged in printed sources as recently as the 1970s. It means “to beat one badly in a fight or competition.” Many of our collected citations for “to clean one’s clock” come from sports reporting. We also have evidence of a number of less common phrases that are similar in meaning and construction, including “clean one’s plow” and “fix one’s clock.”

This column was prepared by the editors of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition. Readers may send questions to Merriam-Webster’s Wordwatch, P.O. Box 281, 47 Federal St., Springfield, Mass. 01102.

Copy the Story Link