"the religious rite"

[Beverly Flanigan]

My understanding is that "orientate" is the preferred form in Britain?  And
I've heard "mentee" too.

At 05:04 PM 10/25/2006, you wrote:
>Regarding another construction in the quoted sentence: "Orientate" is very
>common--more so than "conversate," I'd say.  I have often wondered whether
>universities in Asia have occidentation for their entering freshmen . . . .
>
>Here's one of my least favorite back-formations:  Each faculty member in
>my department is assigned to be the "mentor" for a designated handful of
>undergraduates, who are referred to (by departmental administrators) as
>the faculty member's "mentees"--as if there exists a verb "to ment."
>
>--Charlie
>_____________________________________________
>
>---- Original message ----
> >Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:44:48 -0700
> >From: "Arnold M. Zwicky" <zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
> >Subject: "the religious rite"
> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >
> >
> >a student passed the following on to me, written by a (gay) friend of his:
> >
> >... well I get enough [flak] from the religious rite already about not
> being able to orientate myself correctly...
> >
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org