"floppy disk"--why "floppy"?

[Gerald Cohen]

    Here is a message I just received from Neville Holmes concerning
the ADS-L messages about "floppy disk."; the quotes are from an
earlier message I had sent him.  Incidentally, the nature of Internet
discussion groups such as ours is that participants sometimes wish to
correct earlier statements. Nothing unusual here.

---Gerald Cohen

>From: Neville Holmes <nholmes at leven.comp.utas.edu.au>
>Subject: Re: "floppy disk"
>To: gcohen at umr.edu (Gerald Cohen)
>Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 15:07:35 +1000 (AEST)
>Reply-To: neville.holmes at utas.edu.au
>
>   Gerald,
>
>  >  ...I sent the "floppy disk" message to the American Dialect Society's
>  > discussion group, which I would guess has about 400 members. The
>>  message generated several replies, and I'll forward them to you.  If
>>  you have any further thoughts on the matter, I'm sure our group would
>>  welcome receiving them.
>>
>The message I sent to you in reply to this was most unfortunate.
>My apologies for it.
>
>I was preparing my July column and went back to check what had
>been written about floppies, by me and by others, and I realised that
>I had in fact written what I alleged you put into my mouth.  I will
>be, editors permitting, exposing my sin in the July column.
>
>Again, I am sorry I was so hasty.  Please feel free to post this
>on your list server.
>
>Sincerely,
>Neville Holmes
>
>PS: In haste because I have to fly overseas leaving very early tomorrow
>morning.