issues; the X from Hell

[Laurence Horn]

At 6:10 AM -0800 12/11/06, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>More likely from "illegal substance."
>
>   JL

There's also "controlled substances".  Note that alcohol, not illegal
in itself, is generally banned from substance-free floors/dorms.

LH

>
>Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Charles Doyle
>Subject: Re: issues; the X from Hell
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>That use of "substance" is probably backformed from the legalistic
>"substance abuse"--the term "substance" having been adopted to
>include all sorts of, well, substances?
>
>--Charlie
>
>
>Even better to my mind than "situation" = 'emergency situation' and
>issue" = 'problematic issue' (or whatever) is the reference to
>"substance-free" (floors, dorms, etc.). For us literally-minded
>types, it conjures up a wonderful image of life in a total vacuum.
>
>LH
>
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