get vs. receive/become

[Jonathan Lighter]

Fifty years ago an English teacher told us, "Never say 'get' when you mean
'receive' or 'become.'"  That seemed pretty weird at the time and has only
gotten [sic] weirder.

Yesterday a highly-educated CNN news anchor, age ca40, said (I paraphrase
slightly): "And we've gotten some feedback....I mean we've recieved some
feedback. My mother would say, '_Gotten_ ? What kind of language is that?'
Mom might be listening so I'd better watch my grammar.  We've received
feedback..."

Is this odd taboo so widespread? So terrifying that a news anchor earning
nine or ten figures would correct herself on the air and apologize to Mom?

I guess yes.

JL

--
"There You Go Again...Using Reason on the Planet of the Duck-Billed
Platypus"

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