"Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)

[Tom Zurinskas]

I'm showing my age as well.  It was always "tidal wave" years ago.  Who knew the cause.  I suppose there could be several causes - asteroid splash? volcano?  gas bubble?  Interestingly, it does act like a tide, because the ocean wells up like a tide for many waves before receding.  I don't think it's so bad a term as to replace it with a word that begins with a silent letter that's not even phonetically American English friendly.

Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
See truespel.com - and the 4 truespel books plus "Occasional Poems" at authorhouse.com.





> Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:50:40 -0700
> From: jsmithjamessmith at YAHOO.COM
> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: James Smith
> Subject: Re: "Silver Tsunami" (first "boomer" files for Social Security)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Tidal wave was the popular name in use when I was a
> youth back in the 50's, but I think those in the know
> have long eschewed this moniker for seismic sea wave.
> I have no documentation, but I think 'tsunami' has
> come into more widespread use in the past 50 years or
> so, basically since the end of WWII because of the
> more open exchange of scientific knowledge between
> Japan and the west (and because 'tsunami' sounds less
> mundane than 'seismic sea wave').
>
> "Tidal wave: An erroneous syn. of both 'storm surge'
> and 'tsunami'" American Geologic Institute Glossary
> of Geology, 1980
>
>
> --- Benjamin Barrett  wrote:
>
>> I've pronounced the 't' since I learned the word
>> around 30 years ago.
>> I'm glad that "tsunami" has replaced "tidal wave",
>> because I have never
>> understood the tide has to do with an earthquake.
>
>
> James D. SMITH |If history teaches anything
> South SLC, UT |it is that we will be sued
> jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com |whether we act quickly and decisively
> |or slowly and cautiously.
>
>
>
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