Life in 1500? Don't talk to me about life in 1500!

[Michael Quinion]

Barry Popik, you are not alone in your valiant but unavailing fight
against the forces of etymological unreason.

A subscriber took me to task recently because a piece on my site
disagreed with an item she found on the Web site of the British
High Commission in New Zealand. An official British Government site
must surely be reliable, she felt.

The page (http://www.britain.org.nz/about/facts.html) turned out to
contain that old chestnut e-mail about "Life in 1500", dressed up
with some neat graphics.

I gently pointed out the facts to the High Commission. A message
came back today to say they had modified it. They have, by adding
the lines "Some believe the following to be true... But some may be
open to arguement... " and including the word "alleged".

I haven't quite given up. At least, I do hope to persuade them to
correct the spelling of "argument".


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: <TheEditor at worldwidewords.org>
Web: <http://www.worldwidewords.org/>