I do get a humorous lift from this thread. Reminds me of a Barbara
Stanwyck / Gary Cooper movie from 1941 "Ball of Fire" where she is a
mobsters moll hold up with a group of stereotypical, egghead
lexicographers working on a new version of an encyclopedia. She
convinces them to try to include current slang. One of the mobster
characters states he has to make a telephone call by saying "Gotta use
the Ameche" referring to Don Ameche's 1939 role in "The Life of
Alexander Graham Bell." (Same Studio.) Cue central casting stuffy
professor types falling all over themselves to document the usage.
(in this case Cue the central casting IT types...) I've never been able to
document that usage "in the wild." If it was in the vernacular, it life must
have been ephemeral in the extreme.
Some one wrote:
"That is exactly right and why the following is exactly wrong...
>I believe the authoritative text on the English language is still the
>O.E.D.(The Oxford English Dictionary.)...
The OED is not the authority, *we* are the authority and the OED is the
reporter of what we do."
I'll agree if that was intended to say: "The Oxford Dictionary of the English
Language is not the authority on our (fill in the blank for your highly
specialized field of interest) technical terminology." It is the wrong standard
to apply.
For usage in the general population of English speaking peoples, consistent,
widespread usage over time would need to be documented and proven by
"we" or what ever pronoun puts itself forward as an authority for inclusion to
be considered. I believe 10 years is a generally accepted rule of thumb although
those egghead English majors like Dr. Johnson have been known to show a
remarkable degree of flexibility when presented with documentation included in
a reasoned, intelligent argument. Somehow, the fiat of because "we" said it
means that appears to come up a little short on intelligence and reason, IMHO.
Seems, like the English language, technical jargon is in a constant state of
revision and expansion. I humbly submit this thread as proof thereof. Jargon
provides a wonderful and quick way of communicating among like minded people;
use it frequently myself. The con is that it excludes those outside the cult.
The key is knowing when it gets in the way and when it does not.
Clear skies,
John J Settle (longitude 76W 56' 30.34", latitude 38N 57' 22.06")
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