Date:  Mon, 27 Oct 1997 16:40:54 -0600
From:  Dennis Baron <debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UIUC.EDU>
Subject: Re: PC Dictionaries?

Actually I did a local interview on one of the tv stations and I mentioned exactly what Jesse said,
that all the major dictionaries had the same definitions, and all had appropriate usage warnings and
labels. The furor started when an article in the Sept. issue of Emerge magazine, which I haven't
seen yet, said that the m-w collegiate defined the word as black person and gave nothing to
indicate it was a derogatory usage. This decontextualized reference to the def. then escalated.


Dennis

_____

Dennis Baron, Acting Head    <italic>phone: </italic>217-333-2390

Department of English      <italic>fax: </italic>217-333-4321

University of Illinois     <italic>email: </italic>debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uiuc.edu

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