Comment by johnmperry, 2 months ago

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:01:57 +0000

Comment by johnmperry, 2 months ago

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:01:41 +0000

It also means to network = to make connections. In Chinese called guanxi

Comment by qroqqa, 2 months ago

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:57:02 +0000

The grammar of this verb has mushroomed in recent years. The OED (1989 edition) only has it in simple intransitive uses, similar to 'chat': 'We would schmoose all afternoon'; 'Brooklynites sit and schmooze'.

Now however a number of argument structures are used. They include:

(a) ditransitive, with reflexive recipient:
'trying to schmooze myself a seat on an earlier flight'
'so I can go and schmooze myself a reference'

(b) monotransitive, reflexive recipient, prepositional phrase as goal:
'I managed to schmooze myself aboard Air Force 2'
'I can usually schmooze myself through most situations.'
'If only I could schmooze myself into success'

(c) simple reflexive:
'One thing I still haven't learned is exactly how to properly schmooze myself at these events'
'We need an afterparty after every one so I can schmooze myself!'

(d) two complemements, one the preposition 'up' and the other an impersonal object:
'How to ... schmooze up a storm'
'But I'm not saying he should schmooze up his case'
(These two differ in that 'storm' is a result, 'case' is a pre-existing object.)

(e) ditto but with a personal affected object:
'I got to schmooze up the people who were British'
'to schmooze up some reasonably well known bloggers to come to Amsterdam'

(f) two complements, preposition 'up' and prepositional phrase headed by 'to' indicating the person (cf. 'cosy up to', 'pal up to'):
'I feel that the main goal of most social mixing is to schmooze up to the other person'
'a chance for the big aerospace companies to schmooze up to their customers'

Wordie: Schmooze: Comments

Comment by johnmperry, 2 months ago

Comment by johnmperry, 2 months ago

Comment by qroqqa, 2 months ago