Talk:spinson

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Latest comment: 2 years ago by This, that and the other in topic RFV discussion: February 2022
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Etymology

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This appears to be a proper name, so could it be from genericization of a voter named Spinson? I see room for a pun .... something that spins on the slightest wind is something that might be facing right today and facing left tomorrow. But that seems like quite a reach since English doesn't usually do words with unbound grammar morphemes. That leaves "spin" + "son" which is important to know since it woulkd affect the pronunciation. Then there could be a possibility that it has nothing to do with any of these and is simply a rare word inherited from medieval times. Soap 16:25, 6 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

@Soap: Someone has now added an etymology and further details. Equinox 14:55, 7 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

RFV discussion: February 2022

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"A person whose opinion, or whose voting intention, is subject to change by means of persuasion." Not in OED. SemperBlotto's initial edit summary suggests he was uncertain about the word. Equinox 16:29, 6 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

SB's words are usually from academic literature, and sure enough, this word is in dozens of academic papers, mostly by Katarzyna Sznajd-Weron. The implication seems to be that a person can have one of two possible opinions (agree/disagree) on a topic, like a quark in physics has up or down spin. The challenge is finding three independent cites. This list of papers might be a starting point. This, that and the other (talk) 13:19, 7 February 2022 (UTC)Reply
Cited now. This, that and the other (talk) 13:34, 7 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

RFV-passed This, that and the other (talk) 08:30, 18 February 2022 (UTC)Reply