Barry Popik namecheck

[Dave Wilton]

No, the "8" is not a misprint. She's a regular reporter on the NYT staff.

Her parents are from Taiwan, where evidently it is somewhat common to add
numerical characters to names. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_8._Lee.

She is also credited with coining the term "man date," referring to a social
engagement between two heterosexual men.
(http://www.wordspy.com/words/mandate.asp)


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Michael Quinion
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:37 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Barry Popik namecheck

Someone billed as Jennifer 8. Lee (is this a misprint, I wonder, or have
numbers become the new initials?) writes in the New York Times online
today about apples, apple trademarks and legal action arising therefrom.
She quotes Barry Popik and describes him as a "cultural etymologist". It's
a neat term that I may appropriate without credit ...

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/its-like-comparing-apples-to-
apples/?hp


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

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