RE "Shoot beaver"?

[Michael Quinion]

Laurence Horn wrote:

> I've certainly bounced a variety of hypotheses off the list over the
> years and I've done my share of solicitation of data that were later
> published (or brought up in class lectures) with appropriate credit to
> ADS-L on such topics as personal datives, hypernegation (e.g. "so don't
> I"), retro-NOT, uh-huh and unh-unh, positive "anymore", ethnic slurs,
> and etymological excavation (in particular on "spitten image").

I, too, have found the discussions on ADS-L extremely valuable down the
years and was persuaded by them to become a member of the Society. I've
learned a lot and am grateful for the opportunity to hang out with people
who know more than I do and can help solve etymological puzzles. One small
mark of its value is that ADS and its members have been acknowledged 57
times for information in issues of World Wide Words.

Many problems in etymology have been resolved by members working together,
in a way that would have been much harder if they had had to communicate
one-on-one. That is sufficient justification for the list and excuses the
irrelevancies that appear from time to time.

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

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