Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 23:26:22 -0500

From: Dan Goodman dsgood[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]VISI.COM

Subject: wind chill factor (was: Quebec English)



Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 10:03:37 -0500

From: Mark Mandel Mark[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]DRAGONSYS.COM

Subject: Re: Quebec English



"Wind-chill factor", distinctively Canadian? Eh, no!



Ingrid Peritz's article on Quebec English and Canadian English, quoted by

Dan Goodman, includes the paragraph (apparently based on the _Guide

to Canadian English Usage_)



While anglo Quebecers have expressions to call their own, so do all

English Canadians. From hosers to loonies, sovereignists to tuques,

pogey to baby bonus to wind-chill factor, Canadians use a variety of

English distinct from British or American English.



"Wind-chill factor" has been a part of my regular vocabulary for

many

years (Northeast US all my life, except for 7 years in Berkeley). I don't

see how Dan can have missed that. At first I thought he might be from

Dallas or Atlanta or some place where the number is never used, but

Minneapolis?!



I live in Minneapolis. It's not where I'm from, which I consider to

mean place of origin.



I missed that mistake in the article. But I'm rather surprised that

there's only _one_ detectable mistake in a newspaper article.



For that matter, there's a mystery novel titled "The Wind Chill

Factor"; and if I recall correctly, it's set in Minnesota.



Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 21:21:58 -0400

From: "Peter L. Patrick" PPATRICK[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]GUVAX.ACC.GEORGETOWN.EDU

Subject: Re: Wind-chill factor



I'm perfectly willing to believe that we USers invented "wind

chill"

instead of those other Norther Americans. But remember, just because

something is familiar doesn't mean it's "native". How many people are

aware that "canoe" is a Jamaicanism?



It is? I took it for granted that the word came from the French

"canot" and probably came from a part of North America where English

and French were in close contact.



Dan Goodman

dsgood[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]visi.com

http://www.visi.com/~dsgood/index.html

Whatever you wish for me, may you have twice as much.