"Acceptable" for a hazardous material

[Jonathan Lighter]

Another ex. of meaning reversal.

JL

On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 4:05 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      "Acceptable" for a hazardous material
>
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>
> Heard on the car radio:  In an item on a steam pipe rupture in Boston
> last night, the reporter said that levels of asbestos in the air were
> below acceptable levels.  Presumably meaning they needed to be higher.
>
> I would require "below unacceptable levels."
>
> Joel
>
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