[sic] of the day: earmarks

[Wilson Gray]

So, convicts were once earmarked? I've always associated the term with
the notching of the ears of swine for purposes of identification.

-Wilson

On 8/11/06, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: [sic] of the day: earmarks
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yes, me too, which I didn't say in my other posting.
>
> Joel
>
> At 8/11/2006 09:39 AM, you wrote:
> >Since the start of this thread I've noticed
> >"earmarks/hallmarks/markings of al-Qaeda" all used. "Earmarks" is
> >the term I'd probably use.
> >
> >Gerald Cohen
> >
> >________________________________
> >
> >Original message:
> >
> >Chris Waigl quoted from the Guardian:
> >
> > > FBI director Robert Mueller says: "This had the earmarks [sic] of an
> > > al-Qaida plot"
> >
> >My paper copy of today's Guardian hasn't yet arrived but when it does I'll
> >check if it's there. If I'd read "earmarks" unwarned, I would certainly
> >have marked it: the usage would look to me like an error for "hallmark".
> >
> >
> >--
> >Michael Quinion
> >Editor, World Wide Words
> >E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
> >Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org
> >
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> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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