XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.books
From: jclarkeusenet@cox.net
In article , noemail@invalid.invalid
says...
>
> Steve Hayes wrote:
>
> > Yes, there was a news story about a US aircraft that took off
> > momentarily.
> >
> > It landed in the Hudson River just beyond the runway.
> >
> > That misuse of "momentarily" by airline staff, of all people, is the
> > most stupid and irresponsible language error I have ever heard. The
> > airlines really ought to train their staff better.
>
> As noted, the language has a way of changing. At one time, "girl" meant
> any young person. However, if you called a young male child a girl,
> that probably wouldn't go over well. In the past, "awful" meant
> approximately what "awesome" does these days, that is inspiring awe. In
> fact, it still does in some contexts. Yet, if you refered to someone's
> new house as awful, they'd probably not take it as a compliment.
And "awsome" from some sources conflates with "awful" today. A friend
of mine would regularly describe various pieces of craptastic software
as "awesome", which I figured was a difference in taste. Then he
wrapped his car around a tree and landed in traction for several months.
He described that as "awesome" as well and I finally twigged to the
code.
>
> Many words have multiple meanings. Sometime seemingly contradictory.
> Most users of the language can figure it out from the particular usage.
>
> Every dictionary of American English that I have consulted records the
> use of the above referenced version of "momentarily". I doubt there
> were any passengers confused as to what was meant. Even if there were
> British English speakers, they would probably have either experienced
> it before or have figured it out from context. So I fail to see how it
> was stupid or irresponsible in any way.
>
>
>
> Brian
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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