[Ads-l] _light on fire_ vs. _set on fire_

[Wilson Gray]

On Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 8:39 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> "Set it on fire" is the only acceptable form in my idiot-lect.
>

Given that you and I agree, Jon, what can possibly explain the
all-too-annoyingly-common use of "light [...] on fire" even by newscasters.
Back in the day of Gabriel Heatter, H[ans] v[on] Kaltenborn, and Harry von
Zell, newscasters set the standard.

Well, what can you do? Nothing except language-death can stop
language-change,
-- 
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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