Classless (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Wilson Gray]

I wouldn't use the Russian term unless I was really serious about
insulting someone or seriously hurting his feelings, at least. But, as
usual, my reference is the state of Russian fifty years ago.

-Wilson

On 1/30/08, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC <Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: Classless (UNCLASSIFIED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> Michael is correct -- that's how I intended it to be understood.  I
> almost said nyekulturnyy, which I think is Russian for the concept I was
> trying to convey.
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Michael Quinion [mailto:worldwidewords at gmail.com] On
> > Behalf Of Michael Quinion
> > Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 1:50 PM
> > To: Mullins, Bill AMRDEC; ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Subject: Classless
> >
> > In Bill Mullins's note, he used the word "classless". To me,
> > perhaps from a surfeit of British preoccupations with class,
> > that means a person who does not belong to any particular
> > social class. He's obviously using to mean a person who lacks
> > class. So far as I know, this won't work in British English,
> > but is it a common US form?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Michael Quinion
> > Editor, World Wide Words
> > E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
> > Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org
> >
> >
> >
> Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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