Why (some) people use dictionaries: "time frame" or "timeframe"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Perhaps Ben covered this. Over the weekend _All Things Considered_
interviewed the first CIA employee to admit she was a lesbian. That was
thirty years ago. She said, "The '80s were  a very difficult timeframe."

Meaning "period of time."

JL

On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 1:26 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com
> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Why (some) people use dictionaries: "time frame" or
> "timeframe"
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Ben Zimmer's well-written and illuminating article in the New York
> Times included the following comment from Kory Stamper, an associate
> editor at Merriam-Webster. (She presents entertaining and worthwhile
> video commentary at the website, too.)
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> This view of The Dictionary as the ultimate arbiter of our shared
> language is one that dictionary editors themselves are quick to
> disown. "Lexicographers do not sit in sleek conference rooms and make
> your language," Ms. Stamper wrote on her blog. "That’s what you - the
> reading, writing, speaking public - do. Language is democratic, not
> oligarchic. That’s where the real glamour is."
> [End excerpt]
>
> Perhaps the words "dictionary" and "lexicographer" are themselves
> subject to these processes. It seems possible that a word like
> "dictionary" may have different meanings in different communities of
> speakers. Here is an example:
>
> Comments at the Merriam-Webster website under the entry for the word: time
> frame
>
> http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20frame
>
> [Begin excerpt]
>
> Kymberli Janek · California State University, Chico
> I was looking up the word to see if it was spelled as one word or two?
> May 10, 2011 at 7:13am
>
> Alejandro Perez · Phoenix School of Law
> it seems to be a mystery as to whether it is one word or two. Ugh.
> Last minute editing. :-)
> October 29, 2011 at 11:27am
>
> June Jones · Liberty University
> I was trying to find out if it is one word or two.
> May 25, 2011 at 8:50am
>
> Lynn Matthews · Uh, a lot of work at CH2M HILL
> Folks, if it's not in the dictionary, it's not a word. I was looking
> for the same thing, but found my answer.
> December 21, 2011 at 5:34pm
>
>
> [End excerpt]
>
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>



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