End of ADS-L Digest - 29 Oct 1994 to 30 Oct 1994

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There are 11 messages totalling 347 lines in this issue.



Topics of the day:



 1. offensiveness (2)

 2. offending idioms (4)

 3. Relic Idioms

 4. Boulder Dam

 5. OH Language Files

 6. needs+pp

 7. Preferred Terms



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Date:  Sun, 30 Oct 1994 23:25:00 CST

From:  "Donald M. Lance" <ENGDL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MIZZOU1.BITNET>

Subject: Re: offensiveness



Dictionaries are historical records, so editors should cover as much of

contemporary language as they can. Even though most people use "Webster's"

as a guide to usage, in the long run each dictionary is a slice-of-time

representation of how people use language. Posterity is not served well

when touchy feelings get in the way of recording facts. As Sali suggested,

rather than omitting offensive terms dictionary editors should include them

and label them appropriately.

               DMLance