"Bargaining Chip": Antedating & Mystery

[Mark A Mandel]

On Mon, 12 Aug 2002, Rick H Kennerly wrote:

#Must have missed the professional academics only sign when I signed on this
#list, Frank (although I'm observant enough to have spotted you're name on
#more than a few spines, including two aboard our boat here).  Certainly the
#warm feelings of condescension you emanate toward us nonprofessional word
#folk go a great way toward explaining why etymology is so well remunerated,
#respected, and understood by the general, not to mention the book buying,
#public.
#
#Sapphire's getting a little long in the tooth.  Maybe if he drops off the
#twig in a timely fashion you can apply to be America's premiere cranky word
#snob.  You seem to display a certain easy talent for it.

Ease up. Snottiness will get you killfiled. And misspelling common words
(your => you're) and well-known names (Safire => Sapphire) suggests that
you're relying on a spellchucker [sic] to do your editing.

-- Mark A. Mandel