virus = "any disease-causing organism whatsoever"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Yes, very true.

  "Antibacterial soaps" are indeed everywhere; less ubiquitous are "antibacterial shopping carts," whose surfaces are said to be relatively free of infectious agents so your kid won't infect others or be infected by riding high.  But an awareness that "antibacterial" means "fights germs somehow" is not equivalent to realizing that "virus" is not a good synonym for "germ."

  JL



James Harbeck <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: James Harbeck
Subject: Re: virus = "any disease-causing organism whatsoever"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>You can go for a long time in America without hearing the word
>"bacteria" (much less "bacterium"), except (perhaps) the friendly
>bacteria that clean your septic tank, or the helpful kind that live
>in your gut. Somewhere in the collective unconscious of Joe and
>Joanne is an awareness that many bacteria cause disease, but if
>you're sick, it's almost gotta be "some sort of virus" (And pass
>them antibiotics, Doc!).

You mean the market in the US isn't loaded with "antibacterial" this,
that and the other thing, as it is up here?

His dictis, I agree that most people seem entirely unclear on the
distinction between bacteria and viruses, and, more ot the point,
can't really tell you what causes what and which ones are affected by
what kind of treatment or medication.

In Canada, aside from bad colds being called "the flu," just about
any sort of stomach ailment is typically called a "flu" or "stomach
flu" as well, in spite of being entirely unrelated -- this is so in
the US, too, isn't it?

James Harbeck.

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