Date:  Wed, 13 Apr 1994 17:40:54 -0700

From:  THOMAS L CLARK <tlc[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]NEVADA.EDU>

Subject: Re: ink pen



I checked with those who listen most to my speech and heard something

interesting. I sometimes ask for a pen, sometimes for a ball-point. But

to no one's recollection do I ask for a ball-point pen.

  I recall using ball-point as an adolescent (from [AT SYMBOL GOES HERE] seventh grade), but

am pretty sure I never used "fountain" for fountain pen. After about the

sixth grade, we weren't allowed to have fountain pens (1947 or 48). WWII

had pretty much made the ball-point ubiquitous. This was in Montana.

Cheers,

tlc[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nevada.edu