Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)
Dennis R. Preston
preston at MSU.EDU
Tue Mar 28 16:12:06 UTC 2006
Please note "Revenue Marine" for more of what I take to be
French-influenced N+adj.
dInIs
> >From USCG.gov:
>
> "We trace our roots back to 1790, when _Treasury_ Secretary Alexander
>Hamilton created the Revenue Marine by commissioning ten cutters to enforce
>our new nation's laws on the water. In the 213 years since, we've merged
>with other government agencies - such as the Lifesaving Service, the
>Lighthouse Service, and the Steamboat Inspection Service - to become today's
>Coast Guard."
>
>-Wilson
>
>On 3/28/06, Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
>>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster: Dave Wilton <dave at WILTON.NET>
>> Subject: Re: Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)
>>
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Actually, the Coast Guard used to be under the Dept. of Transportation,
>> not
>> Treasury. And the NHSC is not a uniformed service. The uniformed service
>> is
>> the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The NHSC is something else
>> entirely. If you go to the PHS web site, you will see uniforms a plenty
>> (http://www.usphs.gov/). The PHS is part of the Dept. of Health and Human
>> Services.
>>
>> The other uniformed service is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
>> Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Corps, which is in the Commerce
>> Department. Like the Public Health Service, they have naval rank and
>> uniforms.
>>
>> The government makes a distinction between the "uniformed services" and
>> the
>> "armed services." There are seven "uniformed services," two of which, the
>> PHS and NOAA are not "armed services." The "armed services" are, of
>> course,
>> the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The first four
>> are
>> in the Defense Department and the Coast Guard is in Homeland Security,
>> although in time of war it can also operate under the control of the
>> Defense
>> Department.
>>
>> --Dave Wilton
>> dave at wilton.net
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
>> Of
>> James Smith
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 6:31 AM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: Vals Kilmer (like "attorneys general"?)
>>
>> Not all uniformed branches of the federal government
>> are in the Dept of Defense. The Coast Guard was under
>> the Dept of Treasury until the recent reassignemt to
>> Dept of Homeland Security. Likewise, the Nation
>> Health Service Corp is a uniformed branch of the
>> government, and the head of NHSC is a general, the
>> Surgeon General (this is an anomaly as other ranks in
>> the NHSC follow the pattern of navy rather than army
>> grades, and the uniforms are patterned on naval
>> uniforms). However, the NHSC doesn't make a big deal
>> of it's military-like organization; if you go the NHSC
>> web site (http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/), you'll be hard
>> pressed to find any mention of the military-like
>> aspects of the organization.
>>
>>
>> --- Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU> wrote:
>>
>> > The Surgeon General is always addressed as General.
>> >
>> > At 01:34 PM 3/27/2006, you wrote:
>> > >I think the question was about how attorneys
>> > general are addressed. When
>> > >Alberto Gonzales appears before congress, is he
>> > addressed as General
>> > >Gonzales? I think this happens at least sometimes.
>> > >
>> > >-Matt Gordon
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >On 3/27/06 11:43 AM, "Dennis R. Preston"
>> > <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > I guess I don't understand. If he is the
>> > attorney for general
>> > > > matters, then he is a "general attorney," just
>> > like a court martial
>> > > > is court (N) plus martial (adj) a "military
>> > court."
>> > > >
>> > > > dInIs
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > > >> ~~~~~~~~~~~
>> > > >> I've no beef with adjectives following nouns, a
>> > la francais. This still
>> > > >> doesn't explain why we address this (general
> > > interest) attorney as
>> > > >> "General" if it isn't meant as a rank.....?
>> > > >> AM
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > >
>> >
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> > > >> W stands for >:< War
>> > ____Waste___Wiretaps____Witchhunts >:<
>> > > >>
>> > >
>> >
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> >
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > > >> The American Dialect Society -
>> > http://www.americandialect.org
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > --
>> > > > Dennis R. Preston
>> > > > University Distinguished Professor
>> > > > Department of English
>> > > > Morrill Hall 15-C
>> > > > Michigan State University
>> > > > East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
>> > > > Office: (517) 353-4736
>> > > > Fax: (517) 353-3755
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> >
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > > > The American Dialect Society -
>> > http://www.americandialect.org
>> > >
>> >
>> >------------------------------------------------------------
>> > >The American Dialect Society -
>> > http://www.americandialect.org
>> >
>> >
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > The American Dialect Society -
>> > http://www.americandialect.org
>> >
>>
>>
>> James D. SMITH |If history teaches anything
>> South SLC, UT |it is that we will be sued
>> jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com |whether we act quickly and decisively
>> |or slowly and cautiously.
>>
>> __________________________________________________
>> Do You Yahoo!?
>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>> http://mail.yahoo.com
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list