Date:  Wed, 4 Oct 1995 09:26:32 -0500

From:  Molly Dickmeyer <dickmeye[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]JBLSMTP.PHL.LRPUB.COM>

Subject: Re: Lexical choice? -Reply



"Today I have to do the___"

laundry

wash

washing

I use all of the above interchangeably, and somehow, the "the" must

be there, for me.

If I were going to a laundermat (laundromat...I've seen both, but

this is another question), I'd say "Today I have to go to the

laundermat" the implication being that there's no other reason to go

there than to do laundry (except maybe scope for dates, as someone

else suggested). I think that for me, what constitutes the most work

gets the most emphasis.



Thanks for all your responses to my chinese menu query. I really

needed some chuckles this week.



molly

dickmeye[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]phl.lrpub.com