pundojournalist

[Joel S. Berson]

I've apparently misunderstood the definition of "pundit" in the OED:

"2. In extended use: an expert in a particular subject or field, esp.
one frequently called upon to give his or her opinion to the public;
a *commentator*, a critic."  [Emphasis added.]

  :-)
Joel

At 7/1/2010 06:57 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Reputable? What's reputable got to do with it?
>
>JL
>
>On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 6:32 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: pundojournalist
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Is there a hierarchy -- a pundojournalist is more reputable than a
> > commentator, a commentator than a commenter?
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > At 6/30/2010 08:24 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > >A pundojournalist on NPR yesterday characterized Harry Byrd's position on
> > >government as the insistence that the three federal branches must be
> > >"co-equal."  Somebody wrote in to whine that "co-equal" was, essentially,
> > a
> > >stuipidism for "equal."
> > >
> > >The PJ replied confidently that "equal" correctly applies only to pairs.
> > >Since there are more than two involved, "co-equal" is the correct in this
> > >context.  (You know, as in "all men are created  co-equal.")
> > >
> > >In fact, "co-equal" goes back to the 15th C. The OED entry provides no
> > >support for the claim that its correct application is exclusively to
> > groups
> > >of three or more. It is, essentially, merely an emphatic kind of "equal."
> > >What is "co-equal" is absolutely equal in all relevant characteristics,
> > even
> > >if one might claim theoretically that it is not or should not be. (At
> > least
> > >that's my rationalization. Personally, I prefer "equal.")
> > >
> > >A quick scan of the longer entry on "equal" reveals no support for
> > >the restriction of the word to pairs.
> > >
> > >Q: Which position, the listener's or the PJ's, is the sillier? (It's a
> > trick
> > >question: NPR's decision to air the dispute is the winner here.)
> > >
> > >JL
> > >
> > >--
> > >"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> > >
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> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
>
>--
>"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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