Oh--I think you're right.  I have seen on the web several slangish uses
of "baled out" as in 'disposed of'.  But maybe even those are a
misspelling.  Some uses of 'bale' in slang seem to have something to do
with the actor Christopher Bale and his temper, but I'm out of touch
with those references.

Larry Beason
Associate Professor & Composition Director
Dept. of English, 240 HUMB
Univ. of South Alabama
Mobile AL 36688
(251) 460-7861
>>> Jane Saral <[log in to unmask]> 12/08/09 5:14 PM >>>
Isn't it "bailed," as in "bailed out"?

Just saw in the Times Mag someone referring to wearing "peddle pushers,"
not
"pedal pushers."

On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 3:31 PM, Larry Beason <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> I wonder how many slang terms fit into this category, such as the use
of
> "bad" to mean something that is essentially commendable.  Or the use
of
> "bomb" to mean something that fails ("That movie bombed") or something
> that is good ("She's the bomb.")  I have a feeling such reformations
of
> 'bad words' reflect the sort of shock value and group-bonding that we
> often find in slang.
>
> 'Bale' might fit this category too: 1. To gather together ("We baled
> hay").  2.  To leave ("Halfway through the party, we baled.")
>
> Larry
>
> ____________________________
> Larry Beason, Associate Professor
> Director of Composition
> University of South Alabama
> Mobile, AL 36688-0002
> Office: 251-460-7861
> FAX: 251-461-1517
>
>
> >>> Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]> 12/8/2009 1:01 PM >>>
>  On a less weighty note, my colleague Todd Berliner has been
collecting
> words
> with seemingly contradictory definitions. I've copied his list below.
> Can
> anyone supply further examples?
>
> *Words That Are Their Own Opposites*
>
> *oversight*
>   1. Watchful care or management; supervision.
>   2. a failure to notice something. An unintentional omission or
> mistake.  an error
> "Because there was no oversight there was an oversight."
>
> *presently*
> 1. In a short time; soon
> 2. At this time or period; now
> "He will do it presently, because he can't do it presently."
>
> *cull*
> 1. To gather; collect
> 2. To remove rejected members or parts from
> "We culled the chickens so that they would not be culled"
>
> *traffic*
> 1. passage
> 2. stoppage
> "Because there was so much traffic there was no traffic"
>
> *fearsome*
> 1. Causing or capable of causing fear
> 2. Fearful; timid.
> "Because we weren't fearsome enough, we were fearsome"
>
> *temper*
> 1. a tendency to become angry or out of control
> 2. Calmness of mind or emotions; composure
> "He had a temper because he often lost his temper"
>
> *let*
> 1. to not prevent or hinder
> 2. to hinder (as in tennis “a let”)
> "Let him go to the movies; don't let him from going"
>
> *bolt*
> 1. affix, attach, connect
> 2. to flee
> "They bolted because they weren't bolted."
>
> *terrific*
> 1. Very bad or unpleasant; frightful: a terrific headache
> 2. Very good or fine; splendid: a terrific tennis player
> "It was a terrific experience because there was nothing terrific about
> it."
>
> *cleave*
>   1. to join together
>   2. to break apart
> "We cleaved them so tightly that no one could cleave them."
>
>  I can think of an addition to Todd's list:
>
> *awful*: 1. Awe-inspiring. 2. Disdain-provoking. "The mystic thought
> it
> would be god-awful not to experience God's awful presence in the
> hereafter."
>
>
> and maybe also:
>
> *unlockable: *1. Not lockable. 2. Able to be unlocked. "Before we
> locked the
> door, it seemed unlockable; then it seemed unlockable.
>
> Any others?
>
> Dick Veit
>
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