Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site petsd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!petsd!cjh From: cjh@petsd.UUCP (Chris Henrich) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: literacy Message-ID: <667@petsd.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Nov-85 14:03:16 EST Article-I.D.: petsd.667 Posted: Wed Nov 6 14:03:16 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 06:16:20 EST References: <747@cyb-eng.UUCP> <1900005@datacube.UUCP> <2260@iddic.UUCP> <670@stc-b.stc.UUCP> <2433@sdcrdcf.UUCP> <380@uwvax.UUCP> Reply-To: cjh@petsd.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) Organization: Perkin-Elmer DSG, Tinton Falls, N.J. Lines: 25 Summary: A whole nother example of sloppy hearing [] According to linguists, the spoken language is the real thing, and written language just bobs along in its wake. That may be just a statement of what the linguists prefer to study - but here is an example of how it works. Mathematicians sometimes say or write "abuse of language" to mean a questionable but understandable use of terms or notations. Hence the occasional "proof by abuse of language: ... " And now and then an undergraduate writes on a homework set: "Proof by abusive language: ..." Unless you speak with unnatural slowness and distinction, they sound the same. And the mistake makes a kind of sense: such proofs are regularly resorted to on net.politics, net.origin, even net.religion.(gasp)christian. Regards, Chris -- Full-Name: Christopher J. Henrich UUCP: ..!(cornell | ariel | ukc | houxz)!vax135!petsd!cjh US Mail: MS 313; Perkin-Elmer; 106 Apple St; Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 Phone: (201) 758-7288