"write," n. = "something intended to be read; a writing."

[Charles Doyle]

You're probably right, Jesse.  Perhaps it was the repetition of the whole cliche "a compelling read" that grated.

--Charlie
________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 15:33:54 -0400
>From: Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
>Subject: Re: "write," n. = "something intended to be read; a writing."
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>
>On Fri, Sep 22, 2006 at 03:27:10PM -0400, Charles Doyle wrote:
>>
>> That would correspond to the noun "read" (OED, n.2), which
>> has always struck me as pretentious.  At a social gathering
>> a few years ago, I heard an ostentatiously well-read
>> individual refer to each of three differents recent novels
>> as "a compelling read."
>
>I have the exact opposite reaction--I find _read_ n. to
>be colloquial, and if an ostentatious egghead referred to
>a novel as a "good read", I'd assume that the book is
>quite unpretentious and that the egghead is attempting to
>be relaxed in his or her reading choices.
>
>Jesse Sheidlower
>OED

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