Synonymy avoidance

[Dennis R. Preston]

Just to contribute to this idle speculation further, I should note
that I grew up with BCH and that the "B" was "black," not blonde. (In
my adult usage, I have replaced it with "tad.")

dInIs



>  Just idle speculation as to what would happen if the "standard"
>measurement unit, an RCH, (red cunt hair -- as in "move that over just a
>red cunt hair") were to be replaced with a BCH (blonde cunt hair).
>
>A red hair (henna, I Love Lucy) is thicker than a blonde hair (peroxide,
>Baywatch).
>
>Sorry if my sense of humor is too murky.  Well, I usually amuse myself.
>
>Bill
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Ed Keer
>>  Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 8:15 AM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: Synonymy avoidance
>>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Ed Keer <edkeer at YAHOO.COM>
>>  Subject:      Re: Synonymy avoidance
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -----------------
>>
>>  Ok, I'd love to laugh, but I'm not getting the joke.
>>  Help?
>>
>>  --- "Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:
>>  > Not to mention that switching would require that the National
>>  > Institute of Standards and Technology, (NIST, formerly the National
>>  > Bureau of Standards, or NBS) would have to dissolve its "Henna
>>  > Division", a cadre of mobile calibration standards  ready
>>  to report to
>>  > field sites all over America, and replace it with a "Peroxide
>>  > Squadron", who would need to be trained and otherwise brought up to
>>  > speed.  Plus, "I Love Lucy" would be pulled out of the Primary
>>  > Standards repository and replaced with "Baywatch".
>>  >
>>  > > -----Original Message-----
>>  > > From: American Dialect Society
>>  > > [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
>>  > Jonathan Lighter
>>  > > Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 6:36 AM
>>  > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  > > Subject: Re: Synonymy avoidance
>>  > >
>>  > > ---------------------- Information from the mail
>>  > header
>>  > > -----------------------
>>  > > Sender:       American Dialect Society
>>  > <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter
>>  > <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>>  > > Subject:      Re: Synonymy avoidance
>>  > >
>>  >
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > > -----------------
>>  > >
>>  > > Technically, yes. But the RCH appears to have been
>>  > the
>>  > > accepted measure for at least sixty years.  Any
>>  > switch to the
>>  > > BCH standard would require extensive industrial
>>  > recalibration
>>  > > that could result in a slowing of economic growth.
>>  > >
>>  > > Cf. the ill-fated attempt to "go metric" many
>>  > years ago.
>>  > >
>>  > > JL
>>  > >
>>  > > James C Stalker <stalker at MSU.EDU> wrote:
>>  > > ---------------------- Information from the mail
>>  > header
>>  > > -----------------------
>>  > > Sender: American Dialect Society
>>  > > Poster: James C Stalker
>>  > > Subject: Re: Synonymy avoidance
>>  > >
>>  >
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > > -----------------
>>  > >
>>  > > But isn't an RCH bigger than a BCH?
>>  > >
>>  > > Jim
>>  > >
>>  > > Jonathan Lighter writes:
>>  > >
>>  > > > Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer "RCH."
>>  > > >
>>  > > > JL
>>  > > >
>>  >
>>
>>
>>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic,
        Asian and African Languages
Wells Hall A-740
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
Office: (517) 353-0740
Fax: (517) 432-2736