Slow and not too bright

[Dennis R. Preston]

>I would put him out of busness just for naming his company "Chong's
>Glass" instead of the obvious choice : "Chong's Bongs."

dInIs

>In a message dated 5/14/2003 12:33:35 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>JJJRLandau at AOL.COM writes:
>
>>  It seems obvious to me that a word or phrase can [sic---should be cannot]
>>  get accepted into a language/slang/argot/jargon unless the potential users
>>  are 1) familiar with the referent and 2) have some reason to associate the
>>  new word or phrase with the referent.
>
>I just found a good example to illustrate points 1) and 2) above.
>
>"[Tommy] Chong also pleaded guilty Tuesday on behalf of his business, Nice
>Dreams Enterprises, which made a line of marijuana bongs and pipes. Doing
>business as Chong Glass, Nice Dreams Enterprises sold glass pipes and bongs
>that Chong acknowledged were used to smoke marijuana."
>
>I would have no trouble associating the word "bong" with its referent, except
>that I have no idea what the referent is.  From context it obviously is
>something used for smoking marijuana.  Mr. Chong's bongs may or may not be
>made of glass.  Nor is it clear whether a bong is attached to a pipe, is a
>substitute for a pipe, or is even necessary if one already has a pipe.
>Apparently the two are of equal importance or value, as the first sentence
>says "bongs and pipes" and the second "pipes and bongs".
>
>          - James A. Landau

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics & Germanic, Slavic,
      Asian & African Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027
e-mail: preston at msu.edu
phone: (517) 353-9290