semantic drift: squadron

[Jonathan Lighter]

A minor point to mention is that these recent army and air force
applications are very specialized.  Whoever designated the Umptieth
Finance Squadron knew that several hundred foot soldiers are not normally
referred to as a "squadron."

The writer's use of "squadron" in the context of a movie is simply the wrong
word - technically and historically.  In a hundred years, it may be a
recognized synonym for "group of friends," for all I know.  (Cf., more or
less, the evolution of "posse.") Right or wrong, the point is it's new and
may be widening in currency.

JL

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 6:44 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: semantic drift: squadron
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 7/22/2010 01:42 PM, Bill Palmer wrote:
> >I was always amazed at how the USAF applies these terms for military units
> >to the most unwarlike of functions...e.g. "233rd Finance Squadron" or
> "25th
> >Dental Wing", etc..
>
> That must be a bite wing.
>
> Joel
>
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