From: howl@dontemailme.com   
      
   In article <40284006.2060802@texas.net>, firstinitiallastname@texas.net says...   
      
   >The etymology of "ranch" is pretty interesting.   
      
   A very interesting essay, and one that managed   
   to get all the way through without once mentioning:   
      
   RANCHETTE(s)!   
      
   An aside. A search on the word "hacienda" will   
   find all sorts of current-day real estate   
   companies, building contractors and the like   
   using "hacienda" in their business name. So   
   it's my conclusion that as used nowadays, in   
   the USA real estate business, hacienda   
   references the house rather than the land.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)