When carbon means carbonless

[Benjamin Barrett]

Joel S. Berson wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: When carbon means carbonless
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 3/15/2007 09:57 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>
>> ...  The other day, I ordered duplicates, and the operator confirmed, calling
>> them "carbon [copy?] checks". Knowing now that I was silly to ever have
>> assumed just a few years ago that a bank would send out carbon checks
>> with carbon, I just affirmed, but I thought it interesting that the word
>> "carbon check" can now be used to refer to a "carbonless check". I
>> assume this is due to people not familiar with a withering technology
>> applying a term to a new technology without understanding what the term
>> actually meant.
>>
>> Perhaps the simplest explanation is that "carbon" has added the meaning
>> of including paper underneath that makes a copy when you write.
>>
>
> And the electrons underneath that make a "Cc" when you send email.
>
> Joel
>
LOL. Seriously, though, is the word "carbon (copy)" used for CCing with
e-mail? I never use it that way. BB

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