FW: Sept.11

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:34 AM -0500 3/21/02, Grant Barrett wrote:
>This is a message I received at the American Dialect Society web site today.
>I think it may call for responses beyond what I have already given the
>sender, so I am forwarding it onto the list. My comments are appended below.

Good response, Grant.  Couldn't have said it better myself, so I
won't try.  It's a good thing the writer's name is "David Grant" and
not "E. Chad Grant", or he'd really be feeling ornery by now.

larry

>
>
>From: "Grant, David" <dhgrant at hydro.mb.ca>
>Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 16:15:48 -0600
>To: "'gbarrett at americandialect.org'" <gbarrett at americandialect.org>
>Subject: Sept.11
>
>...
>If your limited life experience has not made you aware, NINE ONE ONE is
>currently the only term we use when referring to telephone access to
>emergency services.   NINE ELEVEN is the model and hence only name for my
>car.  When Porsche tried to use the model number 901 about 40 years ago, it
>found that a French company had fully trademarked it and a large number of
>other number designations.  Porsche has made and marketed cars under the
>brand name 911 (pronounced nine eleven) for 38 years now.  I have no link
>with the Porsche companies.  I do deplore your leap-without-thinking
>approach to this.  It is not too late to use the less ambiguous term
>Sept.11.  As a thinking user of this language, I do wish those with
>influence would use appropriate forethought.
>
>Most sincerely yours,
>
>David Grant