"McJob"--Letter writer objects to its inclusion in dictionary

[Gerald Cohen]

For those interested in the descriptive vs. prescriptive issue, below
my signoff is a recent letter to the editor.

Gerald Cohen

***************


  _St. Louis Post-Dispatch_, July 28, 2003, Section B, page 6, col. 6;
title: "A slangy slur":
    "I was appalled to read in a July 1 article that Merriam-Webster
has decided to add the slang term 'McJob' to its Collegiate
Dictionary.  Its definition alludes to and debases the nation's
870,000 restaurants and their 11.7 million employees.
     "As the nation's largest private-sector employer, the restaurant
industry offers myriad positions, providing quality jobs for nearly 9
percent of those employed in the United States--for a year or a
career.
     "This new slang entry misrepresents the rewarding careers
abundant in the restaurant industry and insults millions of Americans
who have chosen a career in this field.
(Signed) Steven C. Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer,
National Restaurant Association
Washington, D.C."