By Lance Carden
- "Mr. Speaker, you have been demmed."
This is how Geoff Plant warned his colleagues in the British Columbia legislature last April about electronic "data mining." He argued that privacy, autonomy, and anonymity are being seriously compromised by global marketers who sort through ever-expanding spheres of seemingly harmless data to cluster people into various demographics - hence the word "demmed."
Not having an archive to a data-mine, I have no way of knowing whether Mr. Plant subscribes to the Utne Reader, or if he had seen a headline in its March/April 2000 issue: "The Beautiful and the Demmed, You are what you buy - wherever you live." But I do know it is in just such fashion that words eventually enter the accepted vocabulary.
First, someone uses the language creatively, even daringly, in an effort to communicate and possibly to entertain - then others, sensing a powerful and/or playful formulation, repeat it and keep it alive.
"Demmed" brings to the sometimes dry and dreary realm of demographics a certain zip and passion - not least because the sound is so easily associated with the words "hemmed" (as in "hemmed in"), "condemned," and most obviously, "damned." In fact, in this euphemistic sense, "demmed" is nothing new. It will be familiar to readers of the "Life and Exploits of the Scarlet Pimpernel," by John Blakeney, who used it liberally in the novel. "That demmed clever woman" and "That demmed elusive Pimpernel" are two chapter headings.
Little did Blakeney know that we would all be demmed.
(http: //csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/ durableRedirect.pl?/ durable/ 2001/02/06/ p16s2.htm)
- "Mr. Speaker, you have been demmed."
This is how Geoff Plant warned his colleagues in the British Columbia legislature last April about electronic "data mining." He argued that privacy, autonomy, and anonymity are being seriously compromised by global marketers who sort through ever-expanding spheres of seemingly harmless data to cluster people into various demographics - hence the word "demmed."
Not having an archive to a data-mine, I have no way of knowing whether Mr. Plant subscribes to the Utne Reader, or if he had seen a headline in its March/April 2000 issue: "The Beautiful and the Demmed, You are what you buy - wherever you live." But I do know it is in just such fashion that words eventually enter the accepted vocabulary.
First, someone uses the language creatively, even daringly, in an effort to communicate and possibly to entertain - then others, sensing a powerful and/or playful formulation, repeat it and keep it alive.
"Demmed" brings to the sometimes dry and dreary realm of demographics a certain zip and passion - not least because the sound is so easily associated with the words "hemmed" (as in "hemmed in"), "condemned," and most obviously, "damned." In fact, in this euphemistic sense, "demmed" is nothing new. It will be familiar to readers of the "Life and Exploits of the Scarlet Pimpernel," by John Blakeney, who used it liberally in the novel. "That demmed clever woman" and "That demmed elusive Pimpernel" are two chapter headings.
Little did Blakeney know that we would all be demmed.
(http: //csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/ durableRedirect.pl?/ durable/ 2001/02/06/ p16s2.htm)
by Omer Ab May 05, 2006
by Dave January 15, 2004
U can use the word DEM for lots of stuff
(My dad hasn't took the paint out my window and its almost 6 :D)
(My dad hasn't took the paint out my window and its almost 6 :D)
1.Dem daniel, u ate Dem coca cola
2.u got Dem gummy worms?
3. SHIT I ATE DEM COOKIES NOW MY SON (I don't have one) IS MAD
2.u got Dem gummy worms?
3. SHIT I ATE DEM COOKIES NOW MY SON (I don't have one) IS MAD
by LittleBrownGirl93884 December 28, 2018
Dem, when used for a name, is for amazing people who don’t see there own beauty. They don’t like talking about themself but when they do they can ramble on for hours.
“Whose that?”
“Oh them? That’s Dem! Their adorable, aren’t they?”
“…yeah. Nothing quite like them huh.”
“Oh them? That’s Dem! Their adorable, aren’t they?”
“…yeah. Nothing quite like them huh.”
by KenKitten August 27, 2021
by tree September 21, 2004
person 1: oi ye...
person 2:..wat man
person 1:chek that buff dem over there
person 2: bak up i'm on that!!!
person 2:..wat man
person 1:chek that buff dem over there
person 2: bak up i'm on that!!!
by xXxdemloverzxXx August 22, 2006
by howtobeatyourwife101 July 05, 2021