On 09/10/2011 01:09, Charles Ellson wrote:
On Sat, 8 Oct 2011 16:25:25 +0000 (UTC), David Buttery
wrote:

On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:20:45 -0700, Mizter T wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15227879
snip

Off-topic, but I've noticed recently that this use of "mull", which has
always struck me as distinctively American headlinese, has turned up more
and more in UK publications this year. I wonder why now, rather than at
any time during the last decade or so?

It has been around for longer than the last decade, usually in the
form "mulled over". According to the SED you can blame the 'Merks -
"colloq. US 1879", maybe derived from the action of reducing something
to small pieces etc. [for the purpose of examination] ("mull" being
not 'Merkan but ultimately Teutonic via Old and Middle English).


The complete (online) OED has "mull" (to consider, ponder upon) as
American but "to mull over" is not shown as American though most of the
examples quoted are American with the earliest 1874.

An older American meaning of the verb "mull" could perhaps be very
suitable for politicians, planners etc

"To allow a problem to be resolved by inaction, to let something 'stew'
Obs". Only quoted from 1857 so perhaps the original meaning.