Re: Our language

["Walker, Arlen P" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>]

From: Arlen P Walker on 05/13/97 09:45 AM



      INvaluable --in this scrivener's opinion-- ought'a
      be relegated to the same scrap heap as inflammable -- along
      with some other words I'm certain can be added by other
      techwr-l subscribers.

Invaluable makes perfect sense to me. "Not able to be valued," means that
it is impossible to put a value on it. (Now, "priceless," however, seems to
indicate "free.") I suppose both become clearer if you believe everyone
values something and everything has a price.

But "Inflammable" is one of my hot buttons. (Yes, that pun was intentional;
go take it up with my therapist.) Looking up its meaning, I find its second
definition the exact antonym of its first. I suppose in Geoff's line of
work that doesn't present a problem, but given the context "This storage
cabinet is for inflammable liquids" it's impossible to determine where to
store the bottle of ether.

We lose more labs that way! ;{>}


Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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