Telephone pole

[Sarah Lang]

I think he meant "telephone tree" and grabbed "pole" in a sort of
lovely, almost aphasic accident (once can hope anyway). That is very
odd.

As for partner, I'm interested in this as well. In Edmonton, it meant
(in a university setting anyone), anyone that someone was dating more
seriously than a "boyfriend/girlfriend"--could mean months, could
mean they lived together. It was used in any couplings.

In Providence I found it only meant same-sex relationships.

In Chicago, it seems again to be used for any "serious" relationship.

In both cases, however, one could still have a business partner. I
believe in the case you heard it met "business partner."

S.

On May 17, 2007, at 8:24 AM, Landau, James wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Landau, James" <James.Landau at NGC.COM>
> Subject:      Telephone pole
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> At the next meeting of the investment club I belong to, there will
> be a
> vote on changes to the By-Laws.  Among the proposals are one about
> what
> to do when a member ("partner") becomes "incompacitated" and
> another one
> stating that in the event of an emergency, "a telephone pole will be
> conducted".
>
> Speaking of the word "partner", I found an especially ambiguous use
> recently, in a news report about a man arrested for drug dealing.  The
> report kept referring to the man's "partner".  Did that imply they
> were
> lovers?  Well, it was stated that they had once shared an
> apartment, but
> also it was important to the story that the two men jointly owned a
> restaurant, and hence were business partners.
>
> OT:  to the person who brought up the furtive schwa in "pelap(a)
> legic",
> can you explain why everybody in the US is convinced there is a
> city in
> Mexico named "Aunt Jane"?  Tijuana (correct spelling) is commonly
> pronounced Tiajuana (as in "Tiajuana Trolley"), which is Spanish for
> "Aunt Jane".
>
>      - Jim Landau
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

--------------------
Graduate Student, PhD Program
Department of English
Northwestern University
University Hall 215
1897 Sheridan Rd.
Evanston, IL 60208-2240
http://www.arimneste.com/

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org